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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27316723">Hauntober 2020</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Labyrinth_Runner/pseuds/Labyrinth_Runner'>Labyrinth_Runner</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Black Cat - Freeform, Cauldron, Crystals, F/M, Familiars, Fog, Gen, Ghosts, Hauntober 2020, Horns, Lantern, Literally a collection, Moonlight, Moth - Freeform, Nightmare, Pumpkins, Raven - Freeform, Stars, Tarot, Tea, Toad - Freeform, bat, candle, candy apples, celebrate, cryptid, forest, garden, haunted, leaves, owl - Freeform, potion, skeleton, spider - Freeform, vampire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:15:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27316723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Labyrinth_Runner/pseuds/Labyrinth_Runner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of 31 Oneshots. Summaries at the top.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anakin Skywalker &amp; Ahsoka Tano, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 &amp; CT-7567 | Rex, Chewbacca &amp; Leia Organa &amp; Luke Skywalker &amp; Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Anakin Skywalker &amp; Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala &amp; Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala &amp; Yoda, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Pumpkins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Summary: When a friend finds out that another has never carved a jack-o-lantern, they have to remedy that. College AU</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi/ Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker</p><p>Warnings: None, just pure pumpkin spice and everything nice</p><p>Word Count:1.4k</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Senator, you can’t be serious. How have you never carved a jack-o-lantern before?” Obi-Wan asked, affectionately throwing in his girlfriend’s nickname for good measure so that she’d know he wasn’t mocking her.</p><p>“Yeah, Padmé, even <em>I’ve</em> carved a pumpkin. That was one thing my single mother always made sure we did,” Anakin added.</p><p>Padmé shrugged, twisting her scarf on. “I just never had the time. Between extracurriculars and moving around so much, we never really got into the holiday. I think most of my Octobers were spent on humanitarian missions with my parents in countries that didn’t celebrate it.”</p><p>Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a look.</p><p>“Yeah, we’re going to have to fix that,” Anakin chuckled.</p><p>“I don’t see what the big deal is,” she sighed, “It’s just a squash.”</p><p>“No, its a <em>pumpkin</em>,” Obi-Wan corrected, “And you should be glad its a pumpkin. Back home in Scotland, they made us carve a turnip in primary school to show how hard it was back in the olden days.”</p><p>“I thought you grew up in the olden days,” Anakin said innocently.</p><p>Obi-Wan frowned.</p><p>“Alright, alright, I’ll carve a pumpkin,” Padmé sighed, throwing up her hands in defeat. “I’ll pick one up from the store on the way home.”</p><p>“Nonsense. You can’t just buy it from a store,” Obi-Wan said, aghast. “You’ve got to go to the pumpkin patch and pick the one that speaks to you.”</p><p>“If you talk to squash in Scotland, suddenly a lot of things make sense,” Anakin chuckled. </p><p>Padmé whacked him on the arm as she passed by. “Play nice.”</p><p>Obi-Wan moved to stop her exit, “Sweetheart, please. You’re all about cultural traditions.”</p><p>Padmé blushed, a small smile on her face. “Alright. You know I can’t say no to you.”</p><p>“Lovely. We’ll go this weekend,” Obi-Wan grinned.</p><p>Padmé chuckled, “Alright, now I really have to go.” She tipped up to quickly kiss his cheek before heading out the door.</p><p><em>Pumpkins</em>, Padmé thought. <em>Surely it couldn’t be as life-changing as Obi-Wan claimed it to be.</em> Yet, she had to admit that a part of her was looking forward to seeing what she had been missing out on all these years.</p><p>During class, she looked up various pumpkin designs online. Some were quite fancy, and others were the classic faces that she saw in all the Halloween movies. She wasn’t quite sure what she would carve into her pumpkin, yet. She assumed that she would have to wait to see what size canvas she had to work on. </p><p>After class got out for the day, she went home to work on her homework, freeing the next day up for her pumpkin excursion. Then, she rooted through her closet to put together the perfect fall ensemble: a flannel shirt, some overalls, and a good pair of boots. She’d take that pumpkin patch by storm.</p><p>“You’re certainly getting into the spirit of fall,” Obi-Wan chuckled as he came in to slip into bed.</p><p>“If I’m going pumpkin picking, I’m doing it in style,” she replied, shooting a smirk at him over her shoulder.</p><p>“It’s impossible for you to do anything <em>but</em> that, my dear,” he winked as she changed out of her test outfit and into her pajamas. “I’m just glad you’re looking forward to it.”</p><p>“You know how I am,” she smiled, sliding into bed with him, “I’m always looking forward to trying new things.”</p><p>“I just hope you have fun,” he blushed. “You could carve three triangles and a jagged mouth into a gourd, but as long as you’re entertained then it’s worth it.”</p><p>“I can assure you, I have better craft skills than that, but the sentiment is still sweet,” she murmured, snuggling into his side.</p><p>He kissed the top of her forehead and smiled, “Good night, darling.”</p><p>“Good night, Obi,” she yawned before falling asleep.</p><p>When they woke the next morning, a crisp autumn breeze howled against the windows kicking up a swirl of leaves. Padmé stretched languidly, smelling cinnamon coming from the other room. Quickly, she showered and got dressed before going to investigate. She followed the scent to find her housemates making pumpkin spice pancakes. </p><p>A chuckle breezed past her lips, “I’m sensing a theme.”</p><p>“The pancakes were my idea,” Anakin said smugly.</p><p>Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and went towards the fridge, “Apple cider?”</p><p>“Yes, please,” Padmé grinned as she grabbed a stack of pancakes and settled into the kitchen island. She buttered her pancakes before drizzling honey and sprinkling cinnamon on top. “So, is everyone excited to go pick some pumpkins?”</p><p>“Honestly, yeah,” Anakin grinned, “I haven’t done it in years. I usually just pick mine up from the store.”</p><p>Padmé shot Obi-Wan a look and mouthed ‘<em>See</em>?’</p><p>He shook his head at her and smiled as he sat down to eat his breakfast. The three of them discussed what they were going to carve in the pumpkin that they were going to pick until they were done, then they piled into the car and went over to the patch.</p><p>“So, what do you do with the seeds?” Padmé asked as she looked up more information about pumpkins on her phone.</p><p>“Well, I usually bake them. They make a very delicious and healthy snack,” Obi-Wan explained.</p><p>“My mom used to make cajun pumpkin seeds,” Anakin grinned, “They were the best.”</p><p>Padmé nodded, looking up from her electronic device at the pumpkin patch coming into view. After they parked, Padmé clamored out of the car to go investigate. The three of them split off to find their pumpkins. Anakin found a decent medium sized one. Obi-wan picked up a white pumpkin. Then, the two men went back to their housemate to assist her.</p><p>“Padmé, that’s huge,” Anakin commented as he watched her roll the largest pumpkin in the patch towards the register.</p><p>“Go big or go home,” she smirked.</p><p>“Darling, are you sure-”</p><p>“It <em>spoke</em> to me, Obi-Wan. This is my first pumpkin,” she said pointedly.</p><p>“Yes, Senator,” he sighed, picking up the pumpkin. “This way it won’t get bruised.</p><p>“Oh,” Padmé murmured. “Thank you.”</p><p>After they loaded the pumpkins in the trunk and picked up a travel mug of homemade hot apple cider, they drove back home to commence carving.</p><p>“So, how do we do this?” Padmé asked, circling her pumpkin and holding her thumb out like she was an artist.</p><p>“First we put down newspaper so it’s not a mess. Then we get a tray for the seeds. You start by cutting a circle around the stem for the top and then you scoop out all the guts,” Anakin grinned, brandishing a knife.</p><p>Padmé raised a skeptic brow as Obi-Wan put her pumpkin down on the newspaper and handed her a knife. Tentatively, she cut out around the stem and pulled off the top, peaking in.</p><p>“There’s so much!” she whined.</p><p>“You wanted the largest pumpkin,” Obi-Wan replied, already scooping out his smaller gourd.</p><p>Padmé tied her hair up in a pony tail and set to work. While the other two were already carving her pumpkin, she was still cleaning it out. By the time she started carving, Obi-Wan had already finished his pumpkin and popped the seeds in the oven to bake. Anakin, however, was taking his time carving an intricate design. Padmé peaked over at his pumpkin and tilted her head.</p><p>“You’re not actually carving it,” she observed.</p><p>“No, there’s a new type of carving where you basically just shave off layers. I learned how to do it in high school and now that’s just how I do it.”</p><p>Padmé nodded, looking back at her pumpkin. Then, she set about marking her design with a marker before carving. Time ticked on, Anakin finished his carving and Padmé was still going as the two men started to watch a movie. When Obi-Wan came by to make lunch and take the seeds out of the oven, he checked on her progress.</p><p>“How’s it going, Michelangelo?” Obi-Wan teased as he kissed the top of her head.</p><p>“<em>I’m almost</em>…. done!” She grinned, wiping off her pumpkin. She spun it to show Obi-Wan her design, little stars that she cut out around the entire pumpkin in the shape of constellations.</p><p>“Are you sure you’ve never done this before?” Obi-Wan chuckled.</p><p>“Nope,” she grinned.</p><p>Obi-Wan shook his head and put battery operated candles in all the pumpkins and displayed them outside. He shook his head at how nice her pumpkin was compared to his simple face and even Anakin’s Porg. “Next year, we’re carving turnips.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Leaves</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi tasks Anakin Skywalker with taking care of his leaves, only to find that they never really get raked… and stay raked.</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count: 885</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Anakin, I thought I told you to rake these leaves,” Obi-Wan commented when he got home from work. “I even picked up the lawn bags for you on my way home.”</p><p>“I did!” Anakin huffed, getting up from his Netflix binge on the couch. “Are you blind? You walked right past the piles.”</p><p>Obi-Wan held the door open and gestured outside. “I don’t see piles, I just see leaves willy-nilly across our lawn.”</p><p>“Obi-Wan, hand-to-God, I swear I raked the leaves,” Anakin said, coming to look at the lawn. Sure enough, the offending red, yellow, and orange leaves were everywhere.</p><p>“You know, the expression ‘hand-to-God’ would have more weight if you were actually religious,” Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head. “Just… rake them tomorrow, alright?”</p><p>Anakin groaned in frustration, “It took me three hours to do that today with that stupid child’s rake we have in the garage.”</p><p>“Well, think of it as a lesson in patience,” Obi-Wan smirked, going to put away the rest of the groceries he had picked up.</p><p>Anakin rolled his eyes before closing the door. He took one last look at the leaves before shaking his head and going about his day.</p><p>The next day, Anakin pulled the strings of his sweatshirt so that his hood stayed up, keeping the cold air away from his ears. </p><p>“Alright, lawn, we meet again,” he sighed.</p><p>“Do you always talk to your property?” a teenager asked from next door.</p><p>“Don’t you have school?” Anakin countered.</p><p>“Parent-teacher conferences. We have the day off,” she shrugged. “Happy raking.”</p><p>Anakin waved her off and set to work, raking the leaves in neat piles. It was tedious work, especially with his ridiculously tiny tools, but eventually he finished it. Placing his rake against the base of the tree, he slapped his hands together and went to go get the lawn bags that Obi-Wan had brought home the day before from the house.</p><p>As he entered the house and shut the door, a pair of eyes peaked up from over the fence, followed by a teenager with pigtails. Swiftly, she vaulted over the fence and landed in the yard, nonchalantly walking over towards one of the piles. Sneakily, she looked back towards the house. Seeing no sign of the man coming back out any time soon, she smirked. Turning her attention to the leaves, she geared up and jumped in the nearest, largest pile. As her feet came down, the leaves were shot into the air. The ones that weren’t immediately displaced, she reached down and tossed over her head, watching them twirl lazily to the ground.</p><p>Anakin found the bags after five minutes of searching. Then, he went to go back out to put his leaf piles away. The chore would get done this time without any issues. Or, at least thats what he thought until he got back to his door and saw a girl messing up all his neat piles that had taken him so long to make.</p><p>“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” he asked incredulously.</p><p>“Having fun,” she grinned.</p><p>“I didn’t just rake these piles so you could jump in them,” he shot back.</p><p>“Well, I did it yesterday, found out it was fun, and then decided to do it again today. It’s not my fault you didn’t come prepared.”</p><p>“I shouldn’t have to be prepared for someone to mess up leaf piles on <em>my</em>property,” he seethed. “Don’t you have homework to do or dinosaur chicken nuggets to eat?”</p><p>“I finished my homework, and I’m out of nuggets,” she grinned sweetly.</p><p>Anakin went over to the tree, picked up the rake, and thrusted it into her hands. “Good, then you can rake my leaves <em>again</em> and put them into the bag,” he smirked, walking over to a hammock in the tree.</p><p>“What makes you think I’m going to do your grunt work for you?” she asked, looking at the rake.</p><p>“I’m sure you don’t want your parents hearing about how much of a menace you are after talking to your teachers all day,” Anakin winked.</p><p>The girl rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll rake the leaves.”</p><p>Anakin grinned and swung himself in his hammock as he watched her work. Everything was coming up Anakin.</p><p>“What’s your name, kid?” Anakin asked as she started putting the leaves in the bag.</p><p>“Ahsoka,” she replied.</p><p>“You seem more like a Snips to me,” he teased.</p><p>“Oh, yeah? That’s rich coming from you, Skyguy,” she grinned, </p><p>“How’d you know-”</p><p>“Your university sweatshirt has it on the back. You’re not very bright, are you?” she teased.</p><p>“You’re a teenager who still jumps in leaves,” Anakin deadpanned.</p><p>She shrugged, “I know what I like.”</p><p>Just then, Obi-Wan’s car pulled into the driveway.</p><p>“Anakin, I asked you to rake the leaves. Why are you using child labor?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“I did rake the leaves, but this little one here decided to jump through them and make a mess, so I made her re-rake the leaves,” he explained.</p><p>“I see,” Obi-Wan nodded. “Very well. We’re having a fairly big dinner later.” He gave Anakin a pointed look. Anakin nodded as he went over to help Ahsoka finish up.</p><p>“Snips, that was his way of asking you to stay for dinner.”</p><p>“Will there be dinosaur chicken nuggets?” she asked.</p><p>“Maybe, Snips. Maybe.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Teach Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Obi-Wan Kenobi finally can go to a tea festival for the first time in his childhood, he drags Padmé around looking for that one special brew that he remembered from his trip as a kid.</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Padmé Amidala</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count: ~1000</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much tea in one place,” Padmé chuckled as they wandered around Stewjon’s open air markets.</p><p>“Yes, well, you know the saying,” Obi-Wan grinned.</p><p>“What saying?” Padmé asked in confusion.</p><p>“It’s tea time somewhere!” Obi-Wan smirked.</p><p>Padmé held up a finger about to correct him, but then decided to let it go. She’d let him have his fun. Instead, she changed the subject. “I knew you liked tea, but I didn’t think you were a convention kind of person.”</p><p>“It’s not really about the convention,” Obi-Wan explained. “You see, there’s this certain blend that you can only get at the Positivi-TEA convention. I had it once as a child when I came here with Qui-Gon and it was truly life changing.”</p><p>“And you haven’t had it since?” she asked, looping her arm through his.</p><p>“I haven’t had the time to stop,” he admitted. “I was always so busy on official Jedi business that I missed the convention every year. Not to mention, I didn’t always have someone to go with me that would enjoy it. Tea is best when it’s shared with someone.”</p><p>He held her gaze for a moment too long for a friend, causing them both to blush as they looked away.</p><p>“Well, I am certainly honored that you asked me to attend with you,” Padmé smiled, turning to take in the sights again. “Do you remember where you found it last time?”</p><p>“No, but I’ll know it when I taste it.”</p><p>“Are you telling me that we have to taste every single tea blend here?” she asked incredulously.</p><p>“Just until we find it,” Obi-Wan replied.</p><p>“You know, this reminds me of an old fairy tale from my childhood days,” Padmé chuckled.</p><p>“Oh? How so, darling?” Obi-Wan asked curiously as he handed her a cup of tea.</p><p>“The moral of the story that we always took from it was that you’d have to kiss a few Gungans until you found your prince,” she said, looking at the brew. It looked and smelled like glorified swamp water that she’d get on Naboo. </p><p>“Cheers,” Obi-Wan grinned, clinking his glass with hers, unfazed.</p><p>“Cheers,” Padmé swallowed before tipping the tea back into her mouth. It tasted like grass and dirt, but she drank it all to be polite. “Please tell me that isn’t your brew.”</p><p>“Oh, not at all,” Obi-Wan said, clearing his throat as if he had taken a sip of burning alcohol. “Much too…”</p><p>“Swampy?” Padmé asked.</p><p>“Precisely.”</p><p>“Master Yoda would have enjoyed it.”</p><p>Obi-Wan grimaced, “Yes, yes he would.”</p><p>The two continued their way around the vendors, sipping their way through the convention. There were a few good brews, like a certain spiced blend that Padmé enjoyed enough to purchase.</p><p>“Don’t you already have a great amount of tea in your apartment?” Obi-Wan asked, “You’ll overwhelm C-3PO.”</p><p>“Master Kenobi, I may spend my funds as I wish. You cannot just drag me to a tea convention and not expect me to purchase tea. Especially when that tea tastes like a cool, crisp day that you end in front of a fire in a cup,” Padmé said adamantly.</p><p>“Of course, darling, do as you wish. As long as you let me come over and enjoy it when you do decide to brew it,” he grinned.</p><p>“Always,” she winked.</p><p>Obi-Wan blushed and went to try another blend. </p><p>“Well, that is horrid,” he commented after swallowing.</p><p>Padmé raised a brow and picked up a cup.</p><p>“I just told you it was terrible,” he chuckled, “Darling, why are you trying it?”</p><p>“We suffer together,” she said pointedly, knocking it back. Never had her diplomatic facial control come in handy more than in that moment.</p><p>“I tried to warn you,” he smirked.</p><p>“It’s a bonding experience,” she grinned, following him to the last booth. Before Obi-Wan went to reach for the cup, she stopped him. </p><p>“What is it?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“You know, by process of elimination, it has to be this one. If its not, though, I don’t want you to be disappointed,” she murmured.</p><p>Obi-Wan nodded and handed her a cup before taking one for himself. They clinked their disposable cups together before taking a sip.</p><p>Padmé watched with a smile as Obi-Wan’s eyes closed. He let the scent waft up his nostrils, bringing him back to the first time he had tried this blend with Qui-Gon all those years ago. Qui-Gon had asked him to wait outside while he met with someone important, giving him a coin or two to spend at the convention. He’d happened upon this booth and so began his love affair with tea. Obi-Wan let the warm liquid roll over his tongue, coating it in it’s taste. Spices overwhelmed his tastebuds as a smile grew on his face. </p><p>“This is it,” he murmured with a nostalgic look in his eyes.</p><p>“It tastes even better than the one I purchased,” she smiled before purchasing the biggest bag she could for him when he wasn’t looking, tucking it into her shopping bag. They meandered around the convention a little longer, this time looking at the trinkets that were available to purchase, such as steepers and tea sets. </p><p>Eventually, they found themselves back where they started, standing next to the swamp water booth.</p><p>“Well, darling, I suppose we should head back. You have an important meeting in the morning and it will be a long time in hyperspace,” he sighed.</p><p>“I guess we’ll just have to make a cup of tea and entertain ourselves while we travel,” she winked, handing him the tea.</p><p>“You didn’t have to do this,” he grinned.</p><p>“No, but you’re glad I did,” she blushed.</p><p>“Your kindness knows no bounds, Senator,” he murmured, taking her hand and kissing the back of her knuckles. “How can I make it up to you?”</p><p>“I’m sure we can think of something. After all, we’ll be spending <em>all</em> that time in hyperspace,” she purred.</p><p>Obi-Wan blushed, following Padmé back to the ship.</p><p></p><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Candy Apple</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Anakin’s housemates step out to pick up more groceries for their party, they tell him not to do anything until they get back. Yet, Anakin couldn’t sit around and not do something to help. After all, he is competent, isn’t he? Baking mishaps ensue.</p><p>Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~750</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Anakin, Ahsoka and I have to finish picking up the party decorations and a couple more snacks,” Obi-Wan called out as he tugged on his jacket.</p><p>“Translation: Don’t do anything stupid, and don’t make a mess,” Ahsoka smirked. “We just got the house cleaned for the party tonight.”</p><p>“I find your lack of faith disturbing,” Anakin chuckled as he plopped down on the couch.</p><p>“Well, the last time you tried to help for the Christmas party, we ended up with about 100 burnt cookies that even Padmé couldn’t salvage,” Ahsoka chuckled.</p><p>“I promise, I won’t bake any cookies while you’re gone,” Anakin replied, hand-over-heart.</p><p>Obi-Wan shook his head, “Just… don’t burn the house down, okay?”</p><p>“Okay, just get out of here already,” Anakin groaned, throwing a pillow at him before turning his attention back to the television. He heard the door click shut behind them as he flipped through the channels, settling on a cooking show.</p><p>“Today, we’re going to be making candy apples!” the host, Dex, grinned. </p><p>Anakin looked sideways out the window to see if Obi-Wan’s car had pulled away yet. It had. He hopped up off the couch, pulling the episode up on his laptop as he pulled the bag of apples out of the fridge. A playful smirk tugged at his lips.</p><p>“I said I wouldn’t bake any cookies. I didn’t say anything about apples,” he said,  rubbing his hands together. After scrolling down to the ingredients list, he gathered what he could. </p><p>“Well, I don’t have a candy thermometer, but that shouldn’t be an issue. How hard could it be?” he asked himself. He set up his ingredients, haphazardly measuring them out and putting the pot on the stove to heat it up. “And now… we wait.”</p><p>Anakin blinked, watching the pot take forever to heat up. Playfully, he started to drum his fingers on the kitchen island, making up a fun song that progressed to him grabbing two wooden spoons and banging on every surface in the kitchen. That was… until his nose twitched.</p><p>“Is something burning?” he asked. It took him a moment to realize what it was. “The candy apple mix!”</p><p>He sprinted over to the stove to find a black, tar-like substance crusted onto the pot.</p><p>“<em>Shit</em>. Obi-Wan’s not going to like this…” he sighed. “Well… if I succeed in making them, then maybe he’ll be less mad?” He ran a hand through his hair as he dropped the pot in the sink and filled it with water. Unfortunately, he had used up the last of the corn syrup. He rooted around in Ahsoka’s baking cabinet, finding a secret stash of caramels and came up with a new idea. A grin came across his face as he started to hum while searching up easy caramel apple recipes. </p><p>“Well, this seems less difficult, and I don’t need a thermometer. Clearly, the last recipe was just setting me up for failure,” he murmured as he dropped the caramels in the pot, adding some heavy cream. Instead of drumming this time, though, he diligently prepared the toppings for on top of the caramel while occasionally stirring the mixture until it was perfect, adding in a bit of food coloring to make them even more festive. </p><p>“Piece of cake,” he grinned as he stabbed his apples with some leftover skewers from their barbecue party that summer. He started to dip the apples in the black-colored caramel, following the instructions, but still making a mess. When he was done, he moved over to the orange-colored coconut and coated the caramel with it before placing it on a plate covered in wax paper to cool. Once he was done with the apples, he put the plate in the fridge so that the apples would set.</p><p>While he was in the fridge, the door opened.</p><p>“Anakin, we’re back!” Ahsoka called out, coming into the kitchen.</p><p>“Stars, what <em>have</em> you been up to?” Obi-Wan asked, taking in the messy state of the kitchen. Coconut, caramel, and food coloring was everywhere. Globs of caramel stuck to the stove. Coconut was strewn across the countertops. Black and orange coated Anakin’s hands.</p><p>Ahsoka sniffed, “Did you burn cookies again?”</p><p>Obi-Wan walked over to the sink and found the pot, “<em>Anakin, what did you do</em>?”</p><p>Anakin opened the door with a flourish, “I present, caramel apples.”</p><p>Ahsoka and Obi-Wan shared a look. </p><p>“Next time, we’re bringing you with us,” Ahsoka sighed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Moonlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: The hot springs of yore can only be found on a full moon. When Padmé reads about a ritual that requires a bath in the hot springs under the light of a full moon, she goes on a quest to find it, stumbling upon so much more than she bargained for.</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi x Padmé Amidala, Artoo’s a cat. Come at me.</p><p>Warnings: Mentions of nudity.</p><p>Word Count: ~900</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“In order to effectively cast the spell, one must bathe naked in the water from the lost springs under the light of a full moon. For enhanced potency, add rose petals,” Padmé read, copying the information down into her notebook. She looked at her cat, Artoo, “Well, I guess I’ll be looking for a hot spring tonight.”</p><p>Artoo stretched languidly as if to say, “Who the fuck cares?”</p><p>Padmé rolled her eyes, peaking out the window. It was nearly sunset. She would have to leave soon if she hoped to make it in time. After packing her jar of rose petals in her bag, she stripped into her robe and left out her back door. Walking barefoot through her backyard towards the woods at the back of her property, she felt nervous. The dead leaves crunched underfoot as she made her way down the path towards the old ruins and the paths that fanned out from between the stone gateways. Reverently, she ran her hand along the altar in the middle of it all that her people used to use for rituals. Closing her eyes, she opened the third eye, connecting with the magic in her veins to try and find the correct path. Taking a deep breath, she made her way through the gate closest to her, following the path to a wall of ivy.</p><p>“Nothing is ever as it seems,” she murmured, stretching her arms out in front of her to try and connect with the stone behind the ivy. When her hands pushed through the wall of green, she smirked, walking through the space into a cave. Her footfalls echoed off the walls along with the dripping water off the stalactite. The cave was cool and damp under her feet, causing her to shiver and pull her robe tighter around herself. Soon enough, she saw a light in the tunnel and followed it to an opening in the cave that was lit by the light of the moon. With a snap of her fingers, she lit the torches around the chamber, casting a warm amber glow along the wall of the cave. Down in the floor were the hot springs, steam floating up into the air off the top of the water. Padmé cast a quick glance around the cavern before fetching her rose petals from her bag and sprinkling them into the water. Then, she let her robe fall off her shoulders and pool around her feet. She shivered in the cool night air before stepping down into the hot spring, splashing slightly. Taking a deep breath, Padmé sunk below the surface.</p><p>“That’s odd,” Obi-Wan murmured as he walked through the woods towards his campsite. </p><p>He placed the pile of wood he had gathered for his fire down as he noticed a glow coming from what appeared to be a solid rock wall, but Obi-Wan knew that looks can be deceiving. Cautiously, he brushed aside the ivy and made his way into the cave, coming upon a brightly lit cavern. </p><p>“The lost hot springs,” he grinned, not noticing the robe against the wall. He quickly stripped down to his underwear and waded into the warm water, letting out a moan of content. Then, he looked down to see something glowing faintly in the water. </p><p>It was a woman! Obi-Wan dove down to pull her up, but she was pushing back against him. <em>Oh, dear, this poor woman must be very scared if she doesn’t realize that I’m trying to save her,</em> he thought. Eventually, he was strong enough to overpower her and pulled the two of them up to the surface.</p><p>Padmé sputtered in the man’s arms as she coughed up water.</p><p>“Are you okay?” he asked in concern, brushing hair out of her face while he searched it for injury.</p><p>“<em>What the hell do you think you’re doing?</em>” she asked incredulously.</p><p>“Saving your life,” he grinned. “The typical response is ‘<em>Thank you, Obi-Wan</em>.’”</p><p>Padmé blinked at him, “I didn’t need saving. I was performing a ritual.”</p><p>“That… would explain why you were glowing,” he murmured thoughtfully.</p><p>“What are you doing here, anyway?” she asked.</p><p>“Well, for starters, these hot springs don’t belong to anyone,” he replied.</p><p>Padmé sighed and looked down to see how close her naked body was to this man. A blush crossed her face. “You can let go of me.”</p><p>“I could,” he murmured. But he didn’t. “What kind of ritual requires almost drowning yourself?”</p><p>“It’s supposed to help me find my soulmate,” she murmured. “I was tired of my sister telling me I was lonely.”</p><p>“Are you lonely, darling?” he asked, gently running his hand up her back, sending a shiver down her spine.</p><p>“Yes,” she blushed.</p><p>“I don’t know if I believe in magic,” he murmured, “But, I do believe in love at first sight.”</p><p>“Are you saying I put a spell on you?” she grinned.</p><p>“And now, you’re mine,” he grinned, pulling her closer to him. </p><p>“I guess so,” she murmured, nudging his nose with hers.</p><p>Gently, he reached up to cup her cheek. “Is it warm in here, or is it just the hot springs?”</p><p>“Why do I feel as though it’s about to get steamy in here?” she teased.</p><p>“Well, darling, that’s because it is,” he purred before closing the gap between them.</p><p>Their lips met, sending sparks flying as they kissed under the light of the full moon. Padmé smiled against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him harder. It was a truly magical night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Fog</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alright, I wrote TWO one shots for this prompt.<br/>Summary One: When the Captain hears a mysterious voice, he throws caution to the wind to investigate it.</p><p>Characters: Pirate!Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Words Count: ~800</p><p>Summary Two: When your Captain hears a strange voice in the fog, you do everything in your power to bring him back to you.</p><p>Characters: Pirate!Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader</p><p>Warnings: None? Siren trouble?</p><p>Word Count: ~900</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“’Tis odd,” Obi-Wan murmured to his first mate, Anakin Skywalker.</p><p>“There shouldn’t be fog this far out, Cap’n,” Anakin admitted.</p><p>Faintly, Obi-Wan heard a tune being carried through the fog, turning to look at where he felt the source would be. “Do you hear that, lad?”</p><p>Anakin closed his eyes to listen for a moment and then shook his head, “No, Cap’n. I don’t hear anything.”</p><p>“There’s a voice. There’s someone out there,” Captain Obi-Wan said emphatically, “We’ve got to rescue them.”</p><p>“We’re pirates, not the navy!” Anakin protested.</p><p>“We help those in need,” Obi-Wan said pointedly. “If there’s a lass out in that fog, then it seems to reckon that she’d be in need.”</p><p>“Aye,” Anakin sighed, “I suppose that would be the logical conclusion.”</p><p>“Bring her around,” Obi-Wan said, gesturing to the wheel. “We’re going in.”</p><p><em>“I’ve got a bad feeling about this</em>,” Anakin murmured, turning the wheel hard to port, banking them straight into the fog. He cast a glance at his Captain, but pressed forward. </p><p>Obi-Wan closed his eyes and listened, directing Anakin to follow the voice as it grew steadily louder. </p><p>“Captain, I don’t enjoy sailing around in conditions that keep me from seeing,” Anakin protested.</p><p>“We’re getting close,” Obi-Wan replied, “I can feel it. Drop the anchor and ready the row boat.”</p><p>“You can’t possibly be thinking about going out there,” Anakin said incredulously.</p><p>“Lad, you’re right. We shouldn’t be sailing around in a fog.”</p><p>“Well, putting yourself in a row boat and goin’ out there isn’t a good idea either!”</p><p>“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said pleadingly. “Do you trust me?”</p><p>“With my life.”</p><p>“Then lower the boat,” he replied.</p><p>Anakin shook his head, “Aye, aye, Captain.”</p><p>Obi-Wan clamored over the edge of the ship and down into the boat, following the voice into the fog until he couldn’t see the ship anymore. He swallowed, rowing further when the fog started to break up and a small island came into view.</p><p>“There’s nothing on the map out in these waters,” he murmured to himself, pulling the boat up near the shore. “Where the hell am I?”</p><p>“How did you get here?” a voice gasped.</p><p>Obi-Wan turned to see a woman- <em>nay, a mermaid-</em> sitting on a rock near the shore.</p><p>“I followed the voice,” he replied, rowing towards her. “Have you heard anyone singing out here?”</p><p>“The only one singing out here is me,” she admitted. “I was separated from my pod during a storm and was hoping they’d hear me and find me.”</p><p>“You’re alone here?” he asked softly, resting his oars as his rowboat came up astride her perch.</p><p>“Yes. There’s no one on the island. I checked there first,” she told him. “I couldn’t find my way out of the fog. I’d end up right back at the island after a while.”</p><p>“It seems like you could use a lift, lass,” he murmured, looking her up and down. Her scales were pink and yellow, and they shimmered in the sun. In a word, she was beautiful. </p><p>“You’d take me out of here?” she asked.</p><p>“Lass, I came here <em>for</em> you, I’m not leaving without you,” he blushed.</p><p>“Padmé. My name is Padmé,” she grinned.</p><p>“My name is Obi-Wan, but my crew call me Captain,” he winked.</p><p>“Well, Obi-Wan, I appreciate your help, but I will need assistance,” she replied, gesturing to her tail. “When it’s dry, I’ll get legs, but I’m very damp currently.”</p><p>“Of course,” Obi-Wan replied, reaching out to wrap his arms around her waist. He pulled her into his rowboat, landing her on his lap as that was the only way they would both fit. He wrapped his arms around her to pick up his oars and paddle them back to the boat.</p><p>“How do you know we won’t both get stuck now?” she asked softly.</p><p>“Lass, I’m an excellent navigator. Not to mention, I have faith in my first mate.”</p><p>Anakin paced the ship back and forth, feeling antsy. “He should’ve returned by now. I hope he hasn’t gone too far.” He looked around the deck, eyes falling on the dinner bell. “Well, he may not be able to see the ship, but he’ll certainly be able to hear me.”</p><p>Obi-Wan smirked as he heard the faint bell in the distance, steering them towards the sound. It wasn’t long until the boat was in sight once more and they were being pulled aboard.</p><p>“You weren’t kidding about there being a woman out there,” Anakin murmured in awe as Padmé stepped off the rowboat and onto the ship in nothing but the Captain’s jacket.</p><p>“I have a good sense for these things,” Obi-Wan winked, leading her back to his quarters. He stopped with his hand on the door, “However, I’d prefer not to have to sail through soup as thick as this ever again. Take us out of here, lad.”</p><p>“Aye, aye, Captain,” Anakin winked, steering them home.</p><p>You woke with a start. The water was eerily calm, but the air coming in from the windows was enough to send a shiver down your spine. Sitting up, you looked over at the man asleep in bed next to you. He could sleep through a hurricane. Softly, you slipped out of bed and went to close the windows in the cabin, noticing a fog that had rolled in. <em>Strange</em>, you thought. The sky didn’t show any signs of this before you went to bed. As you closed the window, faintly you made out a voice in the distance. You swallowed the unease and returned to bed, tucking yourself into your captain’s side, trying to fall back asleep.</p><p>When you woke again in the morning, the ship was shrouded in darkness and the voices were louder. You’d heard stories of songs at sea, but you remembered they never ended well. Wrapping your shawl around your shoulders, you went out onto the deck to see what was happening. It was quiet. <em>Too</em> quiet. The sails were furled, and everyone was standing at the bow of the ship looking out. </p><p>“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” you asked frantically as you pushed your way to the front. Everyone looked through you, not at you, as you passed. Breaking to the front of the group, you saw Obi-Wan staring out as if in a trance. Your eyes squinted with the strain of the fog to see what he was fixated on. Your eyes widened as you saw a woman in the water, staring at him. Her blonde hair stood out against the foggy backdrop. When she caught sight of you, you could have sworn that she snarled. The music from last night started again, and you realized it was her. She was singing. Shuffling sounds could be heard behind you as the crew started to shuffle off towards the plank. However, the Captain didn’t move.</p><p>“Siren,” you murmured in horror. Your eyes snapped up to the crew. You’d have to save them all. Frantically, you looked across the deck, grabbing some rope that was tied to the main mast before running to encircle them all, tying them to the mast with the tightest knot you could. You heard a splash, looking over to see that the Captain was no longer where you had left him.</p><p>“Obi!” you screamed, grabbing a knife off of Anakin’s belt and jumping in after him. Your eyes stung against the salt water as you searched for him under the eerily calm surface. The glint of his wedding ring caught your eyes as you watched the siren pulling him further and further down. With no time to lose, you pumped your legs as fast as you could to catch up with them, reaching out your arm to loop around his waist. In a fight of strength, you and the siren fought over him, but you were not going to lose your husband to a fish. Pulling him against your chest, you slashed out at her with the knife, slicing her arm.  Her eyes widened in pain and she loosened her grip. Taking advantage of her distraction, you pushed him towards the surface, blowing air into his mouth before shoving him ahead of you. Your lips against his sparked recognition and his eyes widened taking in the current situation. You didn’t give him time to argue, propelling him to the surface. You pumped your legs, trying to follow when you felt a hand wrap around your ankle, pulling you down. A scowl crossed your face and you kicked her, dislodging her from your leg. She hovered in the water for a moment before swimming off, deciding that the two of you weren’t worth it.</p><p>You broke through the surface, gasping for air. Strong arms wrapped around you as you tried to catch your breath. The two of you were lifted into the air by the crew, having used their own weapons to free themselves once the spell was broken. </p><p>Feeling the hard deck under your body once more caused the adrenaline to wear off, sending you into a fit of sobs.</p><p>“Lass, shhhh,” Obi-Wan murmured, holding you tight against his chest, “Lass, we’re okay. We’re all okay because of you.”</p><p>“I was so afraid I was going to lose you,” you cried into his shoulder.</p><p>“You didn’t, though. Because of your quick thinking and bravery, no one was hurt,” Obi-Wan reassured, swiping the salty tears off your cheeks. He picked you up, preparing to carry you back to the chambers to dry off. “Anakin, get us out of this fog.”</p><p>“Yes, Captain,” he replied before quickly going to sail away.</p><p>Obi-Wan kissed your forehead, setting you down in your room. “I’m going to go talk with the crew about a new course, because we cannot go back through siren country. Change and dry off before you get sick.”</p><p>You nodded, changing into your clothes and hanging your nightgown up to dry. Then, you went back out on deck, blinded by the sun. When your eyes adjusted, the crew was standing outside the door, waiting for you.</p><p>“Three cheers for the lass!” Anakin grinned. “Hip hip!”</p><p>“Hooray!”</p><p>“Hip Hip!”</p><p>“Hooray!”</p><p>“Hip hip!”</p><p>Your eyes lock onto your husband’s, a wide grin on his face. “Hooray!”</p><p>Obi-Wan came over, wrapping an arm around you and leading you to the front of the ship to stare off into distance. <em>Sirens</em>, you thought. If you never saw another one again, it would be too soon.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Haunted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Haunted has two definitions. I employed them both!</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~950</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a dark night when it had happened. He’d lost his father figure, and then was thrust into a role he didn’t feel quite ready for. To anyone on the outside, they would think that he had adjusted to the change remarkably well, and that he was thriving. To those who knew him better, or at least those that he had let in enough to see his secrets, they noticed the changes. They noticed the dark circles. They noticed how sometimes he looked at the boy with a bit of resentment, <em>but also with fear.</em> Fear that he couldn’t be what this boy needed. Fear that this boy was in fact too old to train. Fear that no one quite knew what he would grow to be. The prophecy wasn’t clear. There were many ways to bring balance. No one could foresee how he would do it, or if the boy even was the one to do it. </p><p>Questions plagued him during his meditations. He’d ruminate and reminisce. He might take Anakin to a planet he had been to with Qui-Gon when he was about Anakin’s age for a mission for the Council. His body would be in the moment, but his mind would be in the past. He’d see ghosts of his Master out of the corner of his eyes, almost like a holomessage on loop. A younger version of himself would run past him, and he could have sworn the breeze had jostled his cloak. The younger self was followed by his Master, scolding him for not focusing. But these weren’t real. They were echoes of the past that would haunt him. </p><p>As the years past, his daydreams were less frequent, but every once in a while he’d see Qui-Gon in his nighttime dreams. Scenarios of what it would have been like had Qui-Gon trained Anakin. He always knew what to say. Obi-Wan would play through his own memories as the boy’s Master, replacing himself with Qui-Gon to see how he would have done it better. Qui-Gon was many things, but he wasn’t a failure. Not like Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was average. He just knew it. It was something he could feel in his bones. He always did his best, but it was never enough. He still lost those he cared about. He was never strong enough. Never fast enough. Never… <em>enough</em>. </p><p>After Anakin fell, Master Yoda had informed him that an old friend had been looking for him. At first, he had whole-heartedly tried to make contact, needing that interaction, that validation that it wasn’t his fault. When the contact was never made, he found himself chastising his own silliness. There was nothing else but the force. Qui-Gon had returned to it. He shouldn’t be surprised. The man had never done what he was told his whole life. Why should he be any different in death? He stopped trying to talk to him. He didn’t want people to think he was senile.</p><p>Then… <em>things started to move</em>. It was little things at first. His cloak being hung up after he had left it on the floor. A blanket pulled up his chest when he hadn’t even planned on falling asleep.</p><p>Next came the voices. Echoes of his inner conscience.</p><p>
  <em>“You did the best you could.”<br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It wasn’t your fault.”<br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You loved him.”</em>
</p><p>He’d hear them in his sleep when he found himself having a nightmare about Mustafar. Sometimes, he would wake up, still feeling the heat on his face as a tear slid down his cheek.</p><p>Finally, he saw him. </p><p>It had been a normal night. He was cooking on a fire outside his hut, not wanting to waste the good weather when he felt someone sit next to him. When he turned, he saw the blue outline of a familiar face. Glowing crinkles next to his eyes as he smiled at Obi-Wan.</p><p>“My, how you’ve grown,” Qui-Gon smiled.</p><p>“Yet you are exactly the same,” Obi-Wan whispered, staring at him in disbelief.</p><p>“It wasn’t your fault,” Qui-Gon replied, placing a light hand on his shoulder. What once would have weighed down his shoulder blade now just felt like a beetle on his shoulder.</p><p>“I failed him,” Obi-Wan replied. “He didn’t need me as a Master. He needed <em>you</em>.”</p><p>“The force chose you to teach him. It was it’s will. Everything is exactly as it should be,” Qui-Gon replied.</p><p>“<em>Balance</em>,” Obi-Wan cried out, starting to sob. “He was to bring balance to the force! How is any of this in <em>balance</em>?”</p><p>“Not all is lost.”</p><p>“The Order is gone,” he murmured. “Padmé is gone. <em>Liberty</em> is gone. The only hope we have left is those children, and even then, we don’t know what will happen.”</p><p>“Trust in the force,” Qui-Gon replied. “You always did have difficulty with that.”</p><p>“Not when it mattered,” Obi-Wan replied. It was true. When he was in a life or death situation, he easily gave himself over to the force, trusting it to be his eyes and guide his hand to save them all. It was only when the situation wasn’t life or death that he have trouble trusting. In those moments where they created the big picture that he could not quite see, did he fail to trust. He looked at Qui-Gon, sobering up. “Did any of what I did make a difference?”</p><p>“You know the answer to that.”</p><p>Qui-Gon started to fade away into the cool desert night.</p><p>“Wait!” Obi-Wan called out. “Will I see you again?”</p><p>“If the force wills it,” Qui-Gon said with his signature serene smile.</p><p>When Obi-Wan blinked, he was staring back out into the endless dunes against the midnight sky.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Lanterns</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Have you seen tangled? Something like that.</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi/ Padmé Amidala</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count: ~860</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>Where</em> are you taking me?” Padmé asked as they pulled up into the beach parking lot.</p><p>“You’ll see, darling,” Obi-Wan grinned.</p><p>Padmé tilted her head, studying him as she got out of the cruiser. “Obi-Wan Kenobi, you never cease to amuse me.”</p><p>“It’s part of my charm,” he smirked, walking over to her. He took her hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss before walking her towards the ticket line.</p><p>Padmé investigated the various signage around the booths they were heading towards. </p><p>“Lanterns, markers, tickets…” she murmured, reading them. Then, she looked over at him with wide eyes.</p><p>“Is that the look of realization?” Obi-Wan asked teasingly. “Because, darling, it is quite remarkable.”</p><p>“A lantern festival?” she asked softly, almost afraid to be wrong.</p><p>“You should be a detective, Padmé,” he murmured, tapping her nose. “You’d be quite good at it.”</p><p>“I’ll leave that to you,” she smiled softly. “I much prefer being a politician, fighting for the rights of my people. Although, in this current climate, it’s hard to pass anything these days with no one agreeing on them.”</p><p>“People are quite divided over my profession as well,” he sighed. “I can’t blame them, though. I’d still rather be a detective than a politician any day.”</p><p>They got to the front of the line and were handed their lanterns, a lighter, a marker, and food tickets.</p><p>Padmé gently tugged him towards some flat rocks by the shore to work on her lantern design. She put the marker in her mouth to uncap it, holding the cap there between her teeth as she started to draw. Obi-Wan watched in amusement as he worked on his own. His was much simpler in design, choosing to write his hopes and dreams inside so that when he lit the lantern, it would be seen from the outside. A small grin grew on his face as he patted at the hard, square bulge in his pocket. Yes, everything was coming into place.</p><p>“What are you drawing, darling?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“A symbol,” she winked.</p><p>“Well, yes, I can see that,” he chuckled. “I just wanted to know which one. It isn’t quite your campaign symbol.”</p><p>“It isn’t,” she murmured.</p><p>“Then it is…?”</p><p>“I merged your department’s symbol with my campaign symbol,” she grinned as she finished coloring it in and holding it up for him to see. “Its the convergence of us.”</p><p>Obi-Wan blushed, glad that it was dark out. “That is incredibly sweet. You’ll have to take a picture when it’s lit.”</p><p>Padmé nodded and recapped her marker. “I think I’ll go get us something to drink with those tickets. Would you like anything?”</p><p>“Whatever you’re getting, just get me one, too,” he grinned, still working on his lantern.</p><p>“Alright, dear,” she replied, leaning over to kiss his cheek before getting up to go. </p><p>While she was gone, he nonchalantly drew on a couple of her modified symbols- smaller versions- in the margins of his lantern. He held it up to inspect it, finding that now it was perfect. He gently packed it up for use later and pulled out his hidden secret from his pocket. </p><p>“I hope she likes it,” he murmured, running his thumb around the gemstone inset in silver. When he saw her, a small speck on the horizon, he popped it back in his pocket and waited for her to reach him.</p><p>“I know you prefer tea, but all they had was hot chocolate,” she blushed, handing him the cup as she sat down.</p><p>“I’ll still enjoy it,” he smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. </p><p>The two of them sat in silence, looking up at the starry night sky. They finished their drinks just in time. The announcer informed them that they were going to start the lantern launch. </p><p>“You let go of yours first,” Obi-Wan smiled. “That way I can take a picture of you with it.”</p><p>“Alright,” Padmé blushed, getting up and lighting her lantern. Obi-Wan snapped the picture before she let go, watching it float up and away. “Your turn.”</p><p>Obi-Wan let out a nervous exhale. It was now or never. He lit his lantern with his back to her, fishing the box out of his pocket and opening it. Then, he turned back.</p><p>Padmé smiled, “Say cheese!”</p><p>She snapped the photo and then stopped, taking time to really see his lantern.</p><p>Illuminated in the dark was a lantern that read: <em>Padmé, will you marry me?</em></p><p>Her eyes widened as they shifted from the lantern to the box in his hands.</p><p>Obi-Wan shifted awkwardly.</p><p>“Darling, would you be so kind as to give me an answer? I’m quite afraid of catching fire,” he chuckled nervously.</p><p>Padmé’s eyes snapped back up to his as the biggest grin spread across her face. “Yes!”</p><p>“Wonderful!” Obi-Wan grinned, letting the lantern go. He pulled Padmé into an embrace, kissing her softly as he slipped the ring onto her finger. He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her forehead before they both looked up to see their lanterns twirling around each other as they went up into the atmosphere.</p><p>“What a perfect night,” she murmured.</p><p>“When I’m with you?” Obi-Wan grinned, “<em>Always</em>.”</p><p></p><div>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Stars… in their multitude… filling the darkness… with order and light</p><p>Characters: Anakin Skywalker,  Obi-Wan-Kenobi</p><p>Warnings: None. Basically just a bunch of cuteness.</p><p>Word Count:~700</p>
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    <p>“Master, is it true?” Anakin asked softly.</p><p>“Is what true, Anakin?”</p><p>“That every one of those stars is surrounded by its own planets?” Anakin grinned.</p><p>“I suppose so,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, “Although, I’m sure there are some stars that don’t have anything around them.”</p><p>“I think I’d still like to go see those stars,” the boy commented.</p><p>“But, there wouldn’t be anything there to see, Padawan.”</p><p>“That doesn’t matter, Master. I want to see the entire galaxy,” he grinned.</p><p>Obi-Wan turned his head to look at the ten year old boy laying on the ground beside him. The boy’s face was trained up at the sky, staring intently at all the worlds beyond. Worlds that Obi-Wan couldn’t see, but he was so sure that Anakin could make them out vividly. After all, part of the reason the boy had always wanted to be a Jedi was so that he could explore the galaxy. A small smile tugged at his lips as he turned his attention back up to the sky.</p><p>“Do you think my mother is looking at the same sky?” the boy asked softly.</p><p>“I’m sure she’s looking right at you right now,” Obi-Wan murmured, reassuringly. He knew the boy still missed his mother. A few mere months away from her wouldn’t change that. In fact, Obi-Wan doubted that Anakin would ever truly be able to let go of his mother.</p><p>“Master Yoda said that we are all luminous beings,” Anakin replied. “So, we’re all like stars?”</p><p>“In a way,” Obi-Wan said hesitantly, not quite sure where his padawan was going with this train of thought.</p><p>“Do you think Master Qui-Gon is up there?” Anakin asked. “Like a star, looking down on us?”</p><p>Obi-Wan had a sad smile on his face. His new padawan sure had some interesting ideas about the universe. He would like to think that Qui-Gon was there amongst the stars. After all, the man had the gravitational pull of a small planetary orb. However, Obi-Wan knew how the force worked. They came from the force, and they returned to the force.</p><p>“Master?” Anakin asked, turning to look at him.</p><p>Obi-Wan looked at him and smiled. He’d have this talk with Anakin another day. Right now, there would be no harm in playing along. “Perhaps he is. Would you like that?”</p><p>“I would,” Anakin replied, resolutely. </p><p>“Sit up with me, Padawan,” Obi-Wan instructed. “Let’s meditate.”</p><p>Anakin scrambled up into a seated position, resting his hands on his lap. He watched Obi-Wan as he closed his eyes and started to slow his breathing.</p><p>“Focus, Padawan. Close your eyes,” Obi-Wan gently admonished.</p><p>Anakin scrunched his eyes shut.</p><p>“Let yourself fall away from your surroundings. Feel your spirit float towards the stars as you become one with the force,” Obi-Wan continued.</p><p>Anakin struggled to do as he was told, until he thought about his mother there in the stars. If he floated towards the stars, then he could be with her. With a new motivation, he easily slipped into the state of meditation. Obi-Wan peaked his eye open, smiling when he saw this before returning to his own meditation.</p><p>They stayed like this for a few hours, gently inhaling the cool, crisp, clean air as they replenished their spirits. When they finished their mediation exercises, Anakin cast one last look at the sky before following his Master back towards the building.</p><p>“Master, I lied earlier,” the boy admitted.</p><p>“About what?” Obi-Wan asked curiously.</p><p>“Why I want to see the stars without planets,” the boy replied.</p><p>“Why do you want to see them, Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked with a tilt of his head.</p><p>“I think… they’re lonely. I know that sounds silly, but if you think about it, since there are no planets nearby, why would someone visit them? I want to fly by them so they at least can see a friendly face every once in a while,” Anakin murmured, embarrassed.</p><p>Obi-Wan smiled. “I don’t think that’s silly.”</p><p>“It isn’t?”</p><p>“Not at all,” Obi-Wan replied, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He looked up at the sky with him. “In fact, I think that’s a rather good sentiment. We should apply it to our interactions with others as well.”</p><p>“You really think so, Master?” Anakin asked, beaming.</p><p>“Indeed, I do.”</p><p></p><div>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Forest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Leia is alone in a forest and hears footsteps behind her, what could it be?</p><p>Characters: Leia Organa</p><p>Warnings: None. </p><p>Word Count:~850</p>
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    <p><em>Trees</em>. All she saw were trees. Everywhere she looked. It made her feel like she was back home on Alderaan making the hike up Appenza Peak. However, she knew that wasn’t the case. She’d seen her planet destroyed with her own two eyes as she stood next to the galaxy’s boogeyman, Darth Vader. All of her people gone. Her family, gone. Her <em>home</em>… her thoughts diverged into visions of Han and Luke on the Falcon. Well, she had found a new home. She had been fortunate in that regard. Still, the nightmares of her planet being turned to fragments in space fueled her. She needed to get out of this forest and back to her friends. She needed to face the Empire and take them down. The Rebellion would succeed. They’d sacrificed too much for it not to.</p><p>As she made her way through the forest, she heard a rustling sound. At first, she ignored it. After all, there were many things that lived in the forest. If that rustling had been caused by a stormtrooper, she would’ve been shot at by now. But, she hadn’t been. She dismissed it as some sort of small creature probably on its way home from hunting. </p><p>When she came to a downed tree in her path, she hoisted herself over it and continued walking. After making it a few meters down the trail, she heard a small grunt and the sound of feet landing in leaves. She froze, swallowing a lump in her throat. Casting a glance around her field of vision, she saw nothing. Cautiously, she continued on her way. As she started walking again, she heard more footsteps crunching twigs and dried leaves which made her go faster. Whenever she sped up, so did the footprints.</p><p>“<em>Kriff</em>,” she exhaled under her breath as she broke out into a run. By the time she felt like she had carved out enough distance between her and whatever was chasing her, she ducked behind a nearby tree trunk. Pressing her back against the trunk, she counted in her head as she held her breath. <em>Nothing</em>. No more footsteps. No more crunching leaves. No more broken twigs. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Had she just eluded death? Carefully, she peaked her head around the trunk. </p><p>There was no one there. She let out a sigh of relief, deflating against the tree. </p><p>Then, she felt it. Pressure in her back. Her eyes widened and she turned to see… a teddy bear dressed in tribal garb? A not-so-friendly teddy bear with a spear in her face.</p><p>“<em>Na goo</em>!” the little bear called out.</p><p>Leia put her hands up placatingly. “Hey there. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just looking for my friends. We got separated.”</p><p>He tilted his head, “<em>Jeerota</em>?”</p><p>Leia had a blank look on her face. For once, she wished C-3P0 was here. She tried again. “I’m looking for my friends. We’re working with the rebellion to fight the Empire and free the galaxy.”</p><p>“<em>Yub nub</em>!” The little bear cheered, thrusting his spear in the air. “<em>Yub nub!”</em></p><p>Leia smiled awkwardly. “Yep, Yub nub! Now, can you help me?”</p><p>The bear nodded, <em>“Meechoo chyasee.”</em></p><p>He waved her on and walked away. When she didn’t follow, he started to beckon her over.</p><p>Leia sighed and went with him. So much for all the times her parents told her not to go with strangers. She’d broken that rule so many times since then. Although, she had to admit that the little guy was cute. </p><p>She followed him for what felt like forever. All the trees looked different, though, so at least there was that. She had been quite happy that her parents made her take those pathfinding classes at least. They were certainly coming in handy now. </p><p>When Leia was just about to give up following this bear who seemed like he didn’t know where he was going, they broke through into a clearing. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the city in the trees. She’d heard about cities like this, especially on Kashyyk, but she hadn’t seen one up close. The intricate designs caught her eye. It was truly a feat of architecture. In the back of her mind, she thought about how Holdo would probably make some comment about how destroying trees to make homes in the trees seemed counterproductive, but she brushed it off. Her mother would have enjoyed the sight. It was simple and rudimentary, just like much of their palace had still been. </p><p>Leia felt a pang of homesickness for a home she could never return to, but was pulled from it by a tug at her pants. The little bear tugged her over to a chief. She couldn’t understand the conversation that ensued, but it didn’t end with her being thrown in a cell, so she figured that was a good thing. The little bear then took her hand and meandered around the city, pointing things out to her before she settled down on a log. She let out a sigh. She hoped her friends were doing better than she was.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Nightmare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When the Sibyl, Padmé, has nightmares, her friends try to do their best to make sure she can sleep soundly. Roman Empire AU</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~700</p>
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    <p>Padmé’s brow furrowed in her sleep. She was supposed to be finding out information for the emperor to help guide his latest campaign in the East. Yet, nothing she was seeing made sense. Instead of her usual visions, she kept seeing her death over and over again. Every time it was a different way, and every time she’d wake up crying. </p><p>The high priest looked up from his chair next to her bed and sighed, “Death again?”</p><p>“I don’t understand,” she said, wiping her tears and pulling herself together. “Oracles are not supposed to be able to dream about themselves. Its to keep the balance of things. We are cursed to always foresee the lives of everyone but ourselves.”</p><p>“Perhaps you’ve been blessed by the gods and goddesses,” acolyte Skywalker commented from next to the door. “After all, you’ve been blessed by Venus with beauty. Why shouldn’t they favor you with other blessings, too?”</p><p>High Priest Kenobi gave his acolyte a withering look. “Acolyte Skywalker may have a point. We cannot deign to know what gifts the gods have bestowed until there comes a time where we need them.” He turned his attention back to Padmé, “Perhaps the gods are warning you because they need you to stay alive a while longer.”</p><p>“Perhaps,” Padmé said hesitantly. “However, I would appreciate being able to sleep again. Or, to at least dream about the things I am tasked with finding answers for. I cannot advise the emperor on his military campaign if I cannot foresee the outcome.”</p><p>“And there is no way that these dreams cannot answer that question as well?” Obi-Wan asked. “What have you seen?”</p><p>“Explosions. An Arena. Struggle. Death.<em> So much death,”</em> she murmured. “And there is more.”</p><p>“What else is there?” Anakin asked, coming to sit on her bed.</p><p>“I’m not wearing what I normally wear. I’m in a crown that shines like sunbeams, and there is a torch in my hand that slowly flickers out of existence as I do,” she replied.</p><p>“That sounds like the goddess Libertas,” Obi-Wan said gravely.</p><p>“The death of liberty sounds like a nightmare,” Anakin murmured. “I still don’t see how it is connected to your death, though.”</p><p>“The emperor and the assembly listen to her. To go against her would be to go against the will of the gods. Should Padmé die, the emperor could rule unchecked,” Obi-Wan realized with wide eyes. “We must protect her at all costs. Go, my young acolyte. Warn the guards. We must find a safe place to take the sibyl in order to hide her from harm.”</p><p>Anakin nodded and left the room.</p><p>Padmé turned her attention to Obi-Wan, “If you get rid of me before I can tell the emperor not to go to war, then what is the point of keeping me safe?”</p><p>Obi-Wan moved to the bed and took her into his arms. “The point of keeping you safe is to help you live to fight another day. I won’t lose you like this.”</p><p>Padmé reached up to cup his cheek. “Obi-Wan, we both have our duties to the gods. Once we have fulfilled our purpose, we will be collected by Pluto and the voice of the gods will return to them to find a new speaker of truth.”</p><p>Obi-Wan leaned into her touch. “Your time is not here yet. That’s why they have warned you.”</p><p>“Where will you take me?” she asked softly.</p><p>“Naples,” he murmured. “You are to go home.”</p><p>Padmé nodded. She hadn’t been home in a long time. “And my message for the emperor? He cannot form an army and advance on Greece.”</p><p>“I’ll pass it along,” he replied, kissing her forehead. “Now, you will go with Acolyte Skywalker. He will protect you.”</p><p>Padmé nodded, changing into her dress for the day before going out to meet Acolyte Skywalker in the courtyard. Getting on the mule, she waved at Obi-Wan. He stepped forward.</p><p>“I’ll see you soon,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. Then, he turned to Anakin. “Keep her safe. The fate of Rome depends on it.”</p><p>Anakin nodded, taking the reigns of the mule and beginning their long journey to Naples.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Black Cat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When a black cat runs rampant through the dorms, bad things follow… But, perhaps it’s all just superstition.</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala.</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~1000</p>
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    <p>Padmé walked through the building to her room. She unlocked the door to her dorm and set her things down on her desk. She was about to close the door when she heard a meow followed by a blur of black running past her door.</p><p>“Is that a cat?” she asked, springing up from her desk and going out the door to investigate. She lost the cat down the hallway and sighed. With a shake of her head, she went back to her room only to realize the she had locked herself out. </p><p>“<em>Great</em>. Just… great,” she sighed in frustration. She slid down the wall next to her door and sat on the floor. She would just have to wait until her roommate, Sabé, got back from class to let her in. Padmé checked her watch. She had a few hours to kill. </p><p>“Locked out?” a voice asked from across the hall.</p><p>She looked up to see a bookish, yet very handsome man looking at her from his desk. Her eyes widened in recognition. She had a few classes with him.</p><p>“Something like that,” she said with a small lopsided smile. “All my things are in there, anyway, so I can’t even start my homework.”</p><p>“If you’re talking about the legal history reading, you can borrow my textbook. I’m working on some theology homework at the moment so I won’t be needing it,” he offered.</p><p>Padmé got up and walked into his room. “I’d appreciate that.”</p><p>“Here,” he said, handing her the book. “You can hang out in here, too. No need to sit on the floor in the hall. Make yourself at home.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Padmé blushed as she sat on the edge of the bed. That cautious, polite position lasted ten minutes before she was laying on her stomach with her feet swinging in the air behind her as she read.</p><p>Obi-Wan watched her from his desk, chuckling softly.</p><p>“What?” Padmé asked, not even looking at him.</p><p>“Nothing,” he replied.</p><p>Padmé looked up and fixed him with a look. “Oh, come on. I wasn’t born yesterday, Kenobi.”</p><p>“It’s just… cute,” he blushed.</p><p>Now <em>she</em> was blushing. “Cute?”</p><p>“Yeah, how you swing your legs while you read. When you hit a hard section, you stop and look real close at the book,” he murmured. “You do the same thing in class. Your leg sometimes bounces when you have a really good point that you want to make, but when you’re called on, you stop and deliver it with your feet firmly planted on the floor,” he murmured.</p><p>“You noticed that?” she asked softly.</p><p>“I notice a lot of things,” he admitted quietly.</p><p>“Did you happen to notice the cat that locked me out?” she asked, switching subjects to avoid turning the shade of a tomato.</p><p>“Not quite. I saw a blur, but I couldn’t identify it as a cat,” he replied.</p><p>Just then, they heard yet another meow down the hall, followed by a crash.</p><p>They locked eyes and sprinted off to the source of the sound to find the janitor and his ladder on the floor.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Padmé asked, helping him up.</p><p>“I’m fine. I was only on the first rung when that cat sped by. I think I spooked him more than he spooked me, because he knocked into the ladder and tipped it over,” he chuckled. </p><p>“What were you doing up there?” Obi-Wan asked as he replaced the ladder.</p><p>“Replacing a blown bulb,” the janitor replied.</p><p>Obi-Wan squinted up at the bulb and then his eyes widened. “That cat might have just saved your life. One of the wires is exposed. If you grabbed it, you could have been electrocuted.”</p><p>“Huh,” the janitor murmured. “Guess I better call an electrician. You kids have a good night.”</p><p>“You, too,” Padmé murmured before they went back to Obi-Wan’s dorm.</p><p>“I thought black cats are supposed to be bad luck,” Obi-Wan replied as he sat on his bed.</p><p>“Well, they are. After all, I was locked out of my room and the janitor fell,” Padmé replied, sitting next to him.</p><p>“Falling saved his life,” Obi-Wan pointed out.</p><p>“What good came from locking me out?” Padmé asked.</p><p>Obi-Wan reached forward to tuck her hair behind her ear, causing her to blush. “I can think of a few things,” Obi-Wan murmured.</p><p>Padmé’s eyes slowly flicked up to his from the floor. Then, they flicked back down to the pair of lips that were coming ever so closer to hers. When they were millimeters away, a knock sounded at the door and they broke apart.</p><p>Padmé jumped back from him and looked to the doorway. “Oh, you’re back from class already.”</p><p>Sabé raised a brow at their positioning, “You texted saying that you were locked out. I came as soon as class was over. But… it seems like you found a way to pass the time.”</p><p>Padmé sheepishly looked at Obi-Wan, bouncing her knee, “Something like that.”</p><p>Obi-Wan cleared his throat and looked away. “Well, Padmé, if you ever want to work on homework together, let me know.”</p><p>Padmé shot Sabé a look. Sabé held her hands up, conceding and went to go unlock their door, leaving it propped open for Padmé.</p><p>Padmé took her chance, turning his face back to hers and planting a kiss on his lips. Her knee was firm and steady. She smiled against his lips as he kissed back. His hand reached up to cup her cheek. When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his.</p><p>“I’d love to work on homework with you,” she murmured before getting up and walking to the door.</p><p>“Just homework?” he asked with a raised brow.</p><p>Padmé gently closed his door and locked it before turning back to him and resting her back against the door. “And more.”</p><p>Padmé grinned as she ran back over to him. Whoever said black cats were bad luck clearly didn’t know what they were talking about.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Bat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Padmé has a bat problem, she asks the boys to help.</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~1000</p>
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    <p>After three nights of hearing squeaking coming from the attic of the home she just moved into, Padmé finally decided to investigate. She peaked up into the space and shone her flashlight around, watching as a black blur flew from one side of the attic to the other.</p><p>“A bat. I have a bat in my attic,” she stated. Slowly, she made her way back down the ladder and closed the space. “Well, I’ll have to call someone to get rid of it.”</p><p>“Get rid of what?” Anakin asked, coming out of the bathroom. </p><p>“There’s a bat in the attic,” she said, gesturing to the general upstairs direction.</p><p>“No need to call someone. Obi-Wan and I can get rid of it for you.”</p><p>“You and I can do <em>what</em>?” Obi-Wan asked, peaking in from the kitchen. “What did you just volunteer me for?”</p><p>“Padmé’s got a bat upstairs,” Anakin replied,</p><p>“You already volunteered us to help her repaint her dining room. I didn’t realize we were also exterminators,” Obi-Wan sighed.</p><p>“You’re not going to kill it, are you?” Padmé asked in concern.</p><p>“No! Of course not. We’ll just catch it and release it so that it’s on its merry little way. It’ll be gone by the time you come back from that benefit later,” Anakin grinned.</p><p>“Alright,” Padmé sighed. “I’ll let you two handle it.”</p><p>Obi-Wan shot Anakin an unamused look over Padmé’s shoulder. Anakin shrugged.</p><p>“Anything for a friend,” Anakin replied.</p><p>The three of them went back to painting the first floor of Padmé’s house, forgetting about the bat in the attic for a time. While the paint was drying, Padmé got ready for her benefit. Then, she looked at the two boys she would be leaving behind. Obi-Wan had paint in his beard, and paint splattered along his college sweatshirt and jeans from when Anakin reached over his shoulder and splattered him. Anakin also had paint on his joggers and t-shirt. They were quite the pair.</p><p>“Are you sure you two are up for this?” Padmé asked as they pushed her out the door to the waiting town car.</p><p>“How hard could it be?” Anakin asked. </p><p>Famous last words.</p><p>“So, how does one catch a bat?” Anakin asked after the door had closed.</p><p>“You tell me, since this was <em>your</em> brilliant idea,” Obi-Wan replied unamused. “There are easier ways to get women to like you, you know.”</p><p>“Oh, come on. Let’s just catch this bat,” Anakin sighed. He opened up Padmé’s hall closed and grabbed a broom before heading to the hatch. When Obi-Wan followed empty-handed, he gave him a look.</p><p>“What?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“Where’s your weapon?”</p><p>“Weapon? Did I miss the part where we are going to war with the bat?”</p><p>Anakin gave him a stern look and Obi-Wan sighed. He went to the hall closet and picked up a butterfly net from Padmé’s Halloween costume.</p><p>“Ready?” Anakin asked when he returned.</p><p>Obi-Wan nodded.</p><p>Anakin pulled down the hatch and undid the ladder. With a nod to each other, they infiltrated the attic. Obi-Wan pulled out his phone for a flashlight, scanning the room with it. When it settled on the bat, who was sleeping, Ob-Wan held up his hand to stop Anakin from advancing. Anakin gestured to the bat with the broom and then gave Obi-Wan some weird hand signals that Obi-Wan interpreted as ‘when I hit it with the broom, you catch it in the net.’ Obi-Wan nodded and waited for Anakin to move forward. When Anakin moved, he stepped on a creaking board, waking up the bat that started to fly around their heads. The two men stood back-to-back as it circled them.</p><p>“Well, now what?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“I don’t know! I’ll think of something.”</p><p>“Why don’t you just hit it when it comes near you?”</p><p>“Good idea!”</p><p>Anakin raised his broom to strike, but then the bat dove for their heads. The two men dropped their “weapons” and ran down the stairs, shielding their heads with their arms. Anakin shoved the hatch closed.</p><p>The two men huffed and looked at each other as they caught their breath.</p><p>“Well. That didn’t go to plan,” Obi-Wan stated.</p><p>Anakin gave him a withering look. “We have to try again.”</p><p>“Anakin, we are <em>not</em> pest control.”</p><p>“Obi-Wan, it’s for <em>Padmé</em>.”</p><p>Obi-Wan sighed, “For Padmé.”</p><p>This time, they were armed with a plunger and a pillowcase when Anakin opened the hatch.</p><p>“For Padmé!” they both yelled before going up the hatch.</p><p>The bat was waiting for them, hovering over their former “weapons” as if to mock them. It immediately dove for them and the boys lost their nerve, running back down the hatch. Quickly, they closed it and went to the living room to regroup.</p><p>“Can we give up now?” Obi-Wan asked as he flopped on the couch.”</p><p>“I guess we have to,” Anakin sighed, sitting next to him.</p><p>They heard the sound of flapping behind their heads and felt something ruffle their hair.</p><p>Anakin swallowed, looking at Obi-Wan sideways. Obi-Wan stared back.</p><p>“Nope!” Anakin yelled, startling the bat back into the air. The two men were up off the couch and running out into the night, closing the door behind them. They waited on the porch swing for Padmé to return home from her benefit a few hours later.</p><p>When Padmé’s town car dropped her off, she chuckled at the two boys asleep on her porch. Gently, she nudged them awake.</p><p>“How’d it go?” she asked.</p><p>“Not well at all, I’m afraid,” Obi-Wan admitted.</p><p>“Yeah, Padmé, you’re going to have to move,” Anakin replied.</p><p>“Move?” Padmé asked in confusion.</p><p>“It’s truly the best course of action,” Obi-Wan agreed with Anakin. “You also may want to stay somewhere else tonight. There’s a bat loose in there. Wouldn’t want you to get bitten or anything.”</p><p>Anakin nodded in agreement and got up from the porch swing. “Good night, Padmé.”</p><p>Obi-Wan waved at her, “Good night, Senator. If you need some hotel recommendations, I’ll text them to you.”</p><p>Padmé watched dumbfounded as the two boys walked off to their car and left. She turned back to the house and cautiously opened the door. A black blur whizzed past her and out into the clear midnight sky. </p><p>“That wasn’t hard at all,” she chuckled, walking through the door to her house. She sighed happily, “Home, sweet home.”</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Spider</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Obi-Wan and Anakin find themselves on a strange new planet, they find themselves at war, with something other than the Separatists they were sent to battle.</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, the clones</p><p>Warnings: None? Don’t read if you have arachnophobia?</p><p>Word Count:~1500</p>
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    <p>“Be on your toes,” Master Windu warned Skywalker and Kenobi.</p><p>“Why?” Anakin asked. “How is this any different than any of the other missions you have sent us on recently?”</p><p>Master Windu and Master Yoda shared a look. </p><p>“Sense things, we do about this place,” Master Yoda informed them. “Be cautious, you should.”</p><p>The two holograms of the Masters on Coruscant blinked out of existence, leaving Obi-Wan and Anakin in the planning room alone.</p><p>“Well, <em>that</em> was cryptic,” Anakin commented.</p><p>“More so than usual,” Obi-Wan agreed, stroking his beard.</p><p>“I’ll have Rex look into the planet. I want to know more about it than just ‘it has bad vibes,’” Anakin sighed in frustration.</p><p>“I’ll head to the bridge and have them reverse course,” Obi-Wan nodded.</p><p>The two of them split up, each performing their tasks before meeting back up on the bridge to see the planet coming into view as they dropped out of hyperspace.</p><p>“It seems… quiet,” Anakin commented. Then, he turned to his Captain. “Rex, what did you find?”</p><p>Rex looked down at his data pad in his hands, “Not much, Sir. Mostly just reports of people going to the planet and disappearing. Apparently pirates maroon people there who cross them. The Seps have a base on the planet that has been interfering with communications with the core and the outer rim past this part. Oh, and the atmosphere seems to be dense for some reason. We can’t see through to the ground from above.”</p><p>Anakin nodded, looking at the planet. “Obi-Wan, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”</p><p>“For once, I’m inclined to agree,” Obi-Wan replied before turning to their clone troopers. “Rex, Cody, prepare the 501st and 212th to touch down on the planet. We don’t know where their base is. We’re going to have to employ a grid search pattern.”</p><p>Cody and Rex nodded before getting their men ready.</p><p>“Do you think it’s a trap?” Anakin asked as he and Obi-Wan made their way to the hangar bay.</p><p>“No, but even if it was, you know my policy on traps,” he grinned.</p><p>“We spring them,” Anakin winked as he hoisted himself into his ship. </p><p>Obi-Wan got into his own ship. “Alright, Arfour. Be on alert. We don’t know what we’re landing in.”</p><p>A series of beeps met him.</p><p>Anakin settled into his seat.  “Artoo, initiate flight sequence.”</p><p>A cautious whistle met him.</p><p>“I know, buddy. I don’t like the look of it either,” Anakin admitted.</p><p>“Anakin, are you talking to that droid of yours again?” Obi-Wan asked over the intercom as they flew out of the hangar.</p><p>“Beats talking to you, Master,” he teased.</p><p>Obi-Wan scoffed in mock offense, “In that case, I’ll see you down there, my young friend.”</p><p>Anakin chuckled, “Not if I get there first.”</p><p>Anakin zoomed off, leaving Obi-Wan in his stardust. </p><p>When they reached the planet, the two men realized why they couldn’t see the planet’s surface from the space. There was a thick, rope-like substance in the tree line that prevented sight to the ground.</p><p>“I don’t think we’re going to be able to land, Master,” Anakin admitted.</p><p>Obi-Wan sighed, “I was afraid of that. Hop out and have your droids keep the ships in the atmosphere.”</p><p>Anakin did as he was told, hopping out to land on the top of a tree. Obi-Wan landed next to him.</p><p>When Anakin when to pick up his foot, he found that he was having difficulty.</p><p>“Ugh, what <em>is</em> this stuff?” he asked in disgust.</p><p>“Scanner says its organic matter,” Rex informed them.</p><p>“Well, we’ll have to go through it to find the base,” Obi-Wan murmured, igniting his lightsaber. He and Anakin stood, back-to-back, cutting a hole through the substance until they fell through, landing on the ground with a careful thud. They motioned to the clones who used jetpacks to land next to them.</p><p>“I don’t like the looks of this, General,” Rex commented. </p><p>It was dark below the cover of whatever they had cut through. It blocked most of the light, having streaks of sun stream in through the gaps, casting the forest floor in numerous shadows.</p><p>Obi-Wan pulled up a map of the planet. “Alright, men, grid formation.”</p><p>The clones spread out with their Jedi and initiated their search formation until one of them announced that they’d found a building. The men converged on the coordinates the clone had sent them.</p><p>“We’re missing Tup and Echo,” Anakin said, counting his clones.</p><p>“Where’s Boil?” Obi-Wan asked Cody.</p><p>“They didn’t come in when we called them,” Cody replied.</p><p>Anakin frowned. “Maybe they got further than we thought. Let me know when they turn up.”</p><p>Rex nodded, “Yes, General.”</p><p>The group made their way into the base. Although the intelligence about the base had been recent, the base looked old. Lights flickered as they went down the hall. </p><p>“Charming,” Obi-Wan commented.</p><p>“Hey, not everyone has enough republic credits to pay the electric bill,” Anakin shot back.</p><p>Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. As they got to the command center, they found nothing. There were a couple of broken droids and a broken window looking out into the forest. </p><p>Rex bent down to pick up the droid’s head. “It’s been severed, but not with any weapon I’ve seen.”</p><p>He passed it to Cody.</p><p>“It looks like it was crushed. Look at how the wire has been smushed together,” Cody commented. “Almost like a clamp.”</p><p>“What, did someone try to do a tourniquet on a droid?” Fives joked. “Don’t they know that’s not how that works?”</p><p>As the rest of the men filtered into the center, Obi-Wan looked around. </p><p>“We’re missing more men,” he murmured.</p><p>“Maybe they just got lost in the hallways,” Anakin replied, looking out the window.</p><p>Obi-Wan looked at him dubiously. </p><p>“General, we still haven’t heard from the missing clones. Should we go looking for them?” Rex asked.</p><p>Anakin nodded. “No clone gets left behind. While you do that, Obi-Wan and I will disconnect the bases’ radio interference module so that we can get signal back from Coruscant. I doubt the Separatists will be coming back.”</p><p>Rex nodded, gesturing to the clones to put their helmets back on and go back out into the forest. </p><p>Anakin and Obi-Wan fanned out to find the module, finally finding it in the communications room. </p><p>Swiftly, Anakin ignited his lightsaber and destroyed the machine. “One for the Republic.”</p><p>Obi-Wan smirked, “Are we keeping track now?”</p><p>“I always keep track,” Anakin grinned. “Now, let’s get out of here.”</p><p>Anakin called for his clones. “Rex, come in.”</p><p>Silence.</p><p>“Rex?”</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>“I’ll try,” Obi-Wan commented. “Cody?”</p><p>Silence.</p><p>“<em>Kriff</em>,” Anakin sighed.</p><p>The two men shared a worried glance.</p><p>“Let’s stick together,” Obi-Wan murmured.</p><p>Anakin nodded. </p><p>Together, they went out into the unknown. It was eerily silent as they made their way through the forest. Then, they heard the sound of branches breaking. When they turned towards the sound, they saw a large eight-legged beast heading towards them.</p><p>“I don’t like the looks of that!” Anakin called out, igniting his lightsaber.</p><p>“Me neither,” Obi-Wan said, igniting his own.</p><p>The creature came at them.</p><p>The two of them rolled under the legs, getting out of the way before they could get trampled. </p><p>“Obi-Wan, I think I know what that stuff is up there,” Anakin said with dread as they got a better look at the monster.</p><p>“What’s that?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“Spider webs,” he groaned as he started to fight the giant spider. They hacked at the legs, cutting it down until it landed on the ground. Anakin delivered the killing blow. He then shut off his weapon and went over to where Obi-Wan had knelt down by the end of the monster and picked up a small thread.</p><p>“Now <em>this</em> feels like a trap,” Anakin sighed as Obi-Wan started to follow the thread.</p><p>The two men made their way back to a giant web, finding a bunch of lumps attached to the webbing.</p><p>“We should call for a lift,” Anakin said, punching in a call to Artoo before he went to start cutting open the lumps with Obi-Wan. The clones tumbled down.</p><p>“Uh, Generals, we’ve got company!” Fives called out as more of the large spiders started to close in on them.</p><p>They heard the sound of a ship hovering. Without warning, the ship blasted through the webbing overhead and dropped down a ladder.</p><p>“Everybody up!” Rex called out as a few of them provided cover fire to keep the spiders at bay. After most of the clones had gone up the ladder, Obi-Wan and Anakin grabbed onto the last few rungs as it started to lift through the webs. When they were in the air, they climbed into the transport ship.</p><p>“Well, I guess we know what caused all those disappearances,” Anakin sighed.</p><p>“I don’t think we have to worry about the Seps coming back here,” Rex commented.</p><p>“I don’t think we have to worry about <em>anyone</em> coming back here,” Obi-Wan added.</p><p>The ship made its way back to the fleet. Obi-Wan and Anakin watched from the bridge as they entered hyperspace.</p><p>“Time to go home,” Obi-Wan sighed.</p><p>“Finally,” Anakin added, thinking about Padmé.</p><p></p><div>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Raven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: A raven can mean many things. This is something Qui-Gon Jinn was aware of.</p><p>Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, </p><p>Warnings: Predictable Character Death</p><p>Word Count:~500</p>
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    <p>As Qui-Gon Jinn ran through the forest, he noticed a weird creature almost get trampled by the Trade Federations’ battle robots. Quickly, he moved to act, saving the creature. As he did, he heard the distinct caw of a bird, looking up into the tree line to see a black Raven on a branch, tilting its head as it stared down at him.</p><p>“Change and Transformation….” he murmured before going on his journey, an odd smile on his face.</p><p>As he made his way through Tatooine days later, he noticed the black bird again, this time on the roof of a junk shop. He looked at his traveling companions and nodded towards the shop. “We’ll go there.”</p><p>The events that followed were as such: A young boy won an impossible race, earning his freedom and the part that a young Queen needed for her ship to take her back to Coruscant. That trip proved to be a waste of time, sending her and her entourage back to her home planet to try and make a difference there.</p><p>Qui-Gon Jinn watched as the young queen bowed in front of the other ruling entity on their planet. He noticed a fluttering out of the corner of his eye and smiled. The bird was back. </p><p>The young queen retook the city as the old Jedi Master and his young apprentice battled a Sith. The fight resulted in: the older man’s death, the promotion of the younger man, and an adoption of an even younger boy by an order of peace protectors. In the aftermath of the fight, the old man was laid to rest atop a funeral pyre. Those who attended that day notedly remember the serene smile on his face and the unmistakable sound of a raven cawing in the distance.</p><p>Many years later when the younger man was now an older man living on his own in the desert, he found himself faced with the same omen. He looked at the bird and grimaced.</p><p>“An omen of death,” he sighed. “Well, I suppose there is no way around it.”</p><p>Beside him, on the log he had been sitting on appeared a figure wearing a serene smile.</p><p>“Always so negative, Padawan,” the figure said. “Don’t you know there are other meanings to a Raven?”</p><p>“The last time it appeared, it followed the death of my Master. Forgive me for being skeptical,” the other man replied.</p><p>“The death? Or the transformation from living being into living force?” the apparition cryptically asked.</p><p>The man turned to his former Master. “You always had a different way of looking at things.”</p><p>“Yes, well, I had hoped it would have rubbed off on <em>you</em> by now,” the Master winked.</p><p>“Now that would be a change and transformation I would have to see,” the Padawan grinned.</p><p>A light burst into the sky as the pair watched a small pod crash in the distance. A feeling of dread entered the man’s stomach. “But, perhaps a symbol of death is merely that.”</p><p>“Is death not a change and transformation of the soul?” The Master mused.</p><p>The Padawan thought it over for a moment, turning to face him. But alas, he was gone.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Moth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Padmé, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka go on a road trip to West Virginia, they look for evidence of a mythical moth.</p><p>Characters: Moth man? Padmé Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~1100</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I can’t believe they dragged you here, Padmé,” Ahsoka chuckled as they walked with Obi-Wan and Anakin through the small town in West Virginia.</p><p>Padmé shrugged, “They said there was a festival. I thought it would be a nice thing to highlight on my instagram. Besides, it’s always good to support small businesses.”</p><p>“That coffee shop had some amazing drinks,” Anakin grinned. </p><p>“I was impressed by their cookies,” Obi-Wan replied. “I picked up a couple for the trip later.”</p><p>“What trip later?” Padmé asked.</p><p>“The one where we go into the woods to try and find Mothman,” Anakin grinned.</p><p>“You never said anything about hiking in the woods,” Padmé said, turning to the boys.</p><p>“You said you wanted adventure in your life,” Anakin replied. “I heard you singing about it down the dorm hall that one time.</p><p>“I was singing a song from <em>Beauty and the Beast!</em>” Padmé said incredulously.</p><p>“Oh,” Anakin blushed.</p><p>Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at him before turning a charming smile onto Padmé. “Darling, you are more than welcome to stay in the hotel while we go. Don’t feel the need to keep up with all our ideas out of friendship.”</p><p>“I appreciate the sentiment, Obi-Wan, but someone has to keep the two of you out of trouble,” Padmé sighed.</p><p>“What do you mean?” Anakin asked.</p><p>Ahsoka looked at him. “Remember when the two of you went to Salem and ended up in jail because you were trying to fly on a broom while very drunk?”</p><p>“That was one time.”</p><p>“You ended up stuck in a tree while looking for Bigfoot,” Padmé added.</p><p>“That was Obi-Wan,” Anakin corrected.</p><p>“Because you got stuck first and I went up to help you!” Obi-Wan pointed out.</p><p>“You dared me to go up there!” Anakin shot back.</p><p>“I didn’t think you’d actually do it. What sane person climbs a tree to knock over a dead bee hive?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“There’s your mistake, Obi-Wan. Skyguy isn’t sane,” Ahsoka chuckled.</p><p>Anakin pouted.</p><p>Padmé gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “I find your… <em>thirst for life </em>refreshing.”</p><p>“Thanks,” he blushed, averting his gaze.</p><p>“So,” Padmé said, clapping her hands together, “Where are we searching for this Man-Moth?”</p><p>“<em>Mothman</em>,” Obi-Wan corrected, “He lives in the forest, so we’ll be searching there.”</p><p>“Are we just… walking into the woods?” Padmé asked.</p><p>“Essentially, yeah,” Anakin nodded.</p><p>“Wow, not much thought was put into this,” Ahsoka commented as the group walked towards the forest. “What if we get lost?”</p><p>“Well, Obi-Wan was an Eagle Scout back in the day,” Padmé grinned, nudging him with her elbow. </p><p>“I was a boy scout, too!” Anakin replied.</p><p>“You never made Eagle,” Ahsoka pointed out.</p><p>Anakin sighed, “I would have, if I hadn’t moved.”</p><p>Obi-Wan patted his shoulder. “It’s alright.”</p><p>As they moved further and further into the woods, the trees grew more dense. They went on and on, walking beside a stream.</p><p>“We’ve been walking forever,” Ahsoka groaned as she sat on a rock to massage her ankle.</p><p>“Ahsoka has a point. We should stop to rest,” Padmé replied. “After all, not everyone dressed for a hike.”</p><p>“We told you to wear comfortable clothes,” Obi-Wan shrugged.</p><p>“Comfortable clothes and clothes meant for hiking are not the same thing, Obi-Wan,” Padmé pointed out. “I could be comfortable in a dress, but would I hike in it? No.”</p><p>“Fair point,” Obi-Wan replied. “We’ll take a break.”</p><p>“How long are we going to search out here?” Padmé asked.</p><p>“Until we find him,” Anakin replied with a grin.</p><p>Padmé raised a brow at Obi-Wan.</p><p>“Until six. Sunset is at seven. I don’t want to be out here at night,” Obi-Wan replied.</p><p>Padmé nodded, checking her watch. It was four in the afternoon, now.</p><p>“How much farther do you think we should go?” Ahsoka asked.</p><p>“I think we should cut across the river on that log and double back in a wide swing towards town,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, stroking his beard.</p><p>“Sounds good to me,” Anakin grinned.</p><p>The party agreed and they got back up again to move, heading across the river and on the path. Eventually they heard rustling up ahead.</p><p>“Hey… Hey guys,” Anakin whispered, gesturing towards the rustling sound. The group shared a look that said, <em>‘Did we really just find Mothman?</em>’ and moved towards the rustling. What they found instead, was a bear that turned and locked eyes with them.</p><p>“Um…” Anakin murmured. “Eagle scout, what do we do here?”</p><p>“Aren’t we supposed to play dead?” Ahsoka asked through clenched teeth as they all had frozen in place.</p><p>Obi-Wan shook his head and held his hands out placatingly. “We’re humans, Mr. Bear, we’re not going to hurt you,” he said in a low, calming tone. “We are simply going to slowly walk sideways out of your clearing and we’ll be on our merry way.”</p><p>Obi-Wan slowly started to side step his way out of the clearing, having the others follow. When they exited the clearing and it was clear that the bear was not following, they all let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>“Well, that was too close for comfort,” Padmé admitted.</p><p>“I’ll say,” Ahsoka agreed.</p><p>“We should head back,” Obi-Wan said. “If the bears are out, who knows what else will be out soon.”</p><p>They all nodded in agreement and started the trip back.</p><p>Although the interest of everyone at the start of this endeavor was different, they all had a look of disappointment in their eyes as they emerged from the forest and ended up back in town. The trip back to their rooms was silent as they all digested the events from the day. </p><p>Over breakfast the next morning, they discussed the long trip back home.</p><p>“Well, I had a fun little weekend trip,” Padmé admitted.</p><p>“It’s a shame we didn’t find Mothman,” Anakin pouted.</p><p>“Why are you two so obsessed with finding weird things, anyway?” Ahsoka asked as she stabbed her pancake.</p><p>Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a look and shrugged. </p><p>“We just like going on adventures together,” Anakin admitted.</p><p>“Well, we better head back to campus. We don’t want to get stuck in all the beach traffic,” Obi-Wan advised. </p><p>They paid for their meals and went to get in the car.</p><p>“Wait!” Anakin called out.</p><p>“What is it?” Padmé asked.</p><p>“I see Mothman!” Anakin grinned, pointing down the road.</p><p>Sure enough, there was a life-sized monument to the mythical creature.</p><p>Obi-Wan and Padmé shared a look.</p><p>“We have to take a picture,” Ahsoka pleaded.</p><p>“Alright,” Padmé chuckled.</p><p>The four of them rushed over as Padmé put her phone into selfie mode.</p><p>“Everybody get in and say ‘Mothman’!” she grinned.</p><p>“Mothman!” they all grinned.</p><p>Padmé snapped the picture and sent it to all of them.</p><p>“Alright. <em>Now</em>, we can go home,” Anakin grinned. </p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Owl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Anakin is tutoring Ahsoka, they hear some strange sounds.</p><p>Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano</p><p>Warnings: Absolutely none.</p><p>Word Count:~700</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Did you hear that?” Anakin asked, coming back into the dining room with some popcorn.</p><p>“Hear what?” Ahsoka asked, not even looking up from her textbook as she reached for some popcorn.</p><p>“The ghost of Master Yoda,” he replied.</p><p>“Yeah, right,” Ahsoka sighed.</p><p>“No, really. Didn’t you hear it?” Anakin asked in amusement.</p><p>“You’re pulling my leg, Skyguy. Who’s this Master Yoda anyway?” she asked, looking up from her book. She could use a break.</p><p>“He’s this little old man that is known for haunting students by giving them the answers in a cryptic way,” Anakin explained.</p><p>“Oh, yeah? How’d he become a ghost?”</p><p>“Well, he died.”</p><p>“No dip, Sherlock. But, how?” </p><p>“Well, Snips, if you’re nice, maybe I’ll tell you,” Anakin smirked. </p><p>Ahsoka sighed and closed her textbook. “Alright, alright. I’m listening.”</p><p>“Alright, so. Master Yoda was once a teacher of young disciples, known in his time as Padawans. He was always very cryptic in his answers, wanting his students to figure things out themselves. Of course, he’d help them, just not in an obvious way. He even spoke in a weird way to really drive the point home,” Anakin said, leaning forward.</p><p>“Weird, how?”</p><p>“Backwards almost. Like… Bad at math you are. Need a tutor, you do,” Anakin teased.</p><p>Ahsoka shoved his shoulder.</p><p>“Hey! Don’t you want to hear the rest of the story?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“Then be nice, Snips.”</p><p>Ahsoka sighed, waving her hand. “Continue.”</p><p>“Well, Master Yoda had a few enemies who envied how wise and respected he was. One of these enemies poisoned him one day. Master Yoda could tell what the poison was since he knew the symptoms, but he wanted his students to figure it out for themselves. He told them a bunch of cryptic pieces of advice, but the Padawan learners were too distraught by the situation to really think clearly about it. In the end, Master Yoda died,” Anakin finished.</p><p>“So, he knew what was killing him, but he didn’t tell his students so that they could figure it out, which resulted in his death?” Ahsoka asked.</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>“That’s so stupid.”</p><p>“Mhm. But legend has it, that when a student is really stuck, they’ll hear the voice of Master Yoda on the wind, giving them a cryptic answer to help them along,” Anakin smirked, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.</p><p>“That was the lamest story ever, Skyguy,” she chuckled. “I don’t know where you came up with that, but you’ve got to work on your story skills.</p><p>Then, they heard it. A low voice.</p><p>They shared a look.</p><p>“It’s… just the wind,” Anakin replied.</p><p>They went back to their tutoring session. Anakin started a logic problem with her. She was stuck on all the wrong pieces of information, when she should have been focused on the main person in the story.</p><p>Another voice came.</p><p><em>Whooooo</em>.</p><p>Ahsoka giggled nervously. “Stop it, Skyguy.”</p><p>“I’m not doing anything,” Anakin said.</p><p>“You’re making the Master Yoda voice.”</p><p>“I am not!”</p><p>They heard it again.</p><p>“I don’t like this,” Ahsoka murmured. “Do something.”</p><p>“Me? What am <em>I</em> supposed to do?”</p><p>“I don’t know. Investigate? You’re the adult!” </p><p>“Barely!”</p><p>They heard it again.</p><p>“That’s it, Master Yoda!” Ahsoka called out, going towards the window. “Leave. Us. Alone!”</p><p>She threw open the shade, expecting to confront a specter, but instead. There was a little owl on the branch outside.</p><p>“Aw,” she purred. “Hey there, little guy!”</p><p>She opened the window to get a closer look. “You’re not Master Yoda, are you?”</p><p>The owl looked at her. <em>Whooooo</em>.</p><p>“Nope. Definitely not the ghost of an old man,” Anakin agreed, coming over to the window.</p><p>They shared a look and started to laugh.</p><p>“You were so scared!” Anakin teased.</p><p>“Hey, at least I went to confront it! Some protector <em>you</em> are,” she shot back.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get back to your logic homework.”</p><p>“Why aren’t you taking the class then? Maybe then you would’ve been able to think logically and realize the sound was an owl,” she teased.</p><p>“You didn’t realize what it was, either,” Anakin pointed out.</p><p>“I’m in high school. You’re 22. Who’s <em>reaaaaally</em> the idiot here?” she asked.</p><p>Anakin sighed and settled back into his seat. He was never going to live this down.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Toad</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Padmé Amidala finds a mysterious toad in her room, her only choice is to befriend it.</p><p>Characters: Padmé Amidala, Toad-ally someone else</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~1000</p>
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    <p>Queen Amidala came home from another tiring meeting between her advisors who could never agree. This was precisely why she used her ladies-in-waiting as spies, learning what the kingdom truly needed. Thus, she could make her decisions regardless of what the council could or could not agree upon. Her people came first. She just wished that the council would understand that.</p><p>She swept into her empty room, needing a break from it all. She was glad to find that there was no one else around except for her. She paused next to the paintings of potential matches that had been delivered to her room. She gently traced her hand along the long-haired King of Tatooine in one, and the short-haired Prince of the Banking Clan in the other. A small sigh passed through her lips as she sat in a chair opposite them.</p><p>“They’re not you,” she murmured, fishing out the locket from her neckline and opening it up to look upon the small portrait of her knight in shining armor. The man had protected her on multiple occasions, even going out to fight the monstrous warlock in the woods who was terrorizing her people. Unfortunately, he had never come back when he had left for the journey a few months ago. Few knew of their relationship, which was for the best considering that now she would have to pick a new husband. Absentmindedly, she reached down for a cup of tea, letting out a shriek when a toad popped out of the cup.</p><p>The toad blinked affectionately at her, letting out a <em>riiiiiiibett</em>. </p><p>“I apologize,” she murmured, tilting the cup so that the toad could hop out onto her table. She settled on her knees next to it to get on its level. “I did not know you were in there.”</p><p>The toad hopped over to the edge, and she could have sworn she saw it smile at her. She blushed. He was kind of cute. <em>For a toad.</em></p><p>“How did you get up here, little fellow?” she asked, holding her hand out for him to hop into. It landed gently in her palm and she brought him up to her face for further inspection. “Blue eyes. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a toad with blue eyes as pretty as yours. They remind me of someone I lost.”</p><p>Padmé walked the toad out to the garden, placing him atop a lily pad in her pond. “There. You’ll like it out here a lot more,” she smiled. Then, she turned to leave. She made it a few steps before she realized that the toad was hopping alongside her. He took two hops for her every one step.</p><p>“Now, Mr. Toad, you cannot come into the castle. It wouldn’t be proper,” she said, kneeling next to him. “Besides, all your friends are out here.”</p><p>The toad shook its head at her.</p><p>She blinked.</p><p>“<em>No</em>?” she asked in confusion. She picked the toad up again. “I suppose you <em>could</em> stay. But only for today. The last thing I need are people thinking I’m an odd Queen that talks to toads,” she murmured, walking them back into her room. It was getting late, so she got ready for bed before going out to her balcony to look up at the stars in the sky. She leaned her arms on the railing, resting her chin and cheek on her hand. The toad hopped up beside her, watching as she looked up at the stars.</p><p>“I do this every night,” she said, not even looking at him. “I search the sky for a shooting star to wish on.” She turned her attention down to the toad. “I lost someone. Someone I cared about very much. I don’t know what happened to him. Many people think he died, but I don’t think that is true at all. I would feel it.” She turned back to the sky, a sad smile on her face. “No, I think he’s out there somewhere, trying to get back to me.”</p><p>The toad nudged her elbow.</p><p>“Enough of that,” she said softly. “We should go to bed.”</p><p>Gently, she picked up the toad and took him to the pillow next to hers, setting him down carefully. Then, she climbed into bed on her side and pulled the covers up over herself.</p><p>“Good night, Mr. Toad,” she murmured before giving the creature a goodnight kiss on his head.</p><p>The toad let out a small sigh as she turned to face away from him, falling asleep.</p><p>When Queen Amidala awoke the next morning, she felt a strong pair of arms around her waist. There was a familiar warmth at her back and she leaned into it on instinct, mind still too hazy from sleep to realize the situation.</p><p>“Good morning, darling,” a sleepy man croaked into her ear.</p><p>“Good morning, Obi-Wan,” she murmured, turning into him and tucking herself under her chin.</p><p>She froze, eyes opening wide in sudden realization. “Obi-Wan!”</p><p>She pulled back to take the man’s face in her hands, tears of happiness in her eyes. Padmé kissed him fiercely once before peppering kisses along his jaw. “You came back!”</p><p>His gaze softened as he rested his forehead against hers. “I told you I would be.”</p><p>“When you had gone missing… Everyone said you were dead, but I didn’t. I <em>knew</em> you weren’t,” she replied.</p><p>“I know, Darling,” he said, kissing her forehead. “You were very strong. I did my best to get back as fast as I could, but being a little toad meant that what was once a two week journey turned into two months.”</p><p>“What happened?” she asked.</p><p>“The wizard cursed be to be a toad before he died. His exact words were: ‘For being a pest, I shall turn you into one,’” Obi-Wan explained.</p><p>“I’m so glad you’re home,” she said, hugging him tight.</p><p>“I don’t plan on ever leaving you again,” he promised.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Familiars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Slight Harry Potter AU? Maybe? When Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker go to pick familiars, all the animals want Obi-Wan. Anakin hopes to find an epic familiar.</p><p>Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Artoo</p><p>Warnings: None.</p><p>Word Count:~850</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come along, Anakin. We need to just get a familiar and then we can go to school,” Obi-Wan said, looking down his checklist.</p><p>“Does your checklist say ‘have fun’ anywhere on it, Obi-Wan? Because the way you’ve made this a process is turning a fun shopping trip into a chore,” Anakin groaned.</p><p>“I just want us to be prepared, and to not be late,” Obi-Wan replied as he pushed the door to the pet shop open with his back.</p><p>Anakin rolled his eyes and followed him in. “How will I know if it’s the right familiar?” he asked as he saw all the animals inside.</p><p>“They say that you don’t pick your familiar. Your familiar picks <em>you</em>,” the cryptic shop keeper, a small old man, said with a smile. “Walk through. See if there are any takers.”</p><p>Anakin made his way through the rows of animals, but none of them spared him a second glance. When Obi-Wan went to follow him, suddenly all the animals perked up and pawed or pecked for Kenobi.</p><p>“<em>Seriously</em>?” Anakin asked with a huff.</p><p>Obi-Wan shrugged in embarrassment, “I’ve always been more popular with animals than with people.”</p><p>Anakin grumbled under his breath as he went to lean next to a covered box in the back of the shop. When his arm accidentally bumped it, something tootled at him, causing him to jump.</p><p>“Hello?” he asked softly.</p><p>He heard flapping and a “oooh.”</p><p>With a flourish, Anakin pulled the cover off to reveal a bird cage with a blue and white bird inside. The bird sat on its perch studying him, tilting his head this way and that. After apparently deciding that <em>this one will do</em>, he nodded and took a few steps closer.</p><p>“Aren’t you a pretty little thing,” Anakin grinned.</p><p>The bird pecked his finger.</p><p>“Ow!” Anakin replied before sticking his bleeding finger in his mouth. He looked at the bird in annoyance, “Now I know why you were covered.”</p><p>The bird made a noise that sounded slightly like a snicker.</p><p>“Obi-Wan, do we absolutely <em>need</em> a familiar?” he asked, turning to find his friend covered in a puddle of kittens and giggling.</p><p>“Now, <em>see here,</em> little ones, that tickles!” he said as the kittens snuggled him.</p><p>
  <em>“Obi-Wan!”<br/></em>
</p><p>“Right! Right, sorry. What were you saying?” he asked, picking up the kittens from his chest whenever they started to climb and placing them back in his lap. It was a never-ending process.</p><p>“Do we need a familiar?”</p><p>“Yes. They’re supposed to help you focus your magic. It helps give you an extra boost,” Obi-Wan explained.</p><p>Anakin glanced sideways at the bird. “And you <em>have</em> to let them pick you?”</p><p>The shop keeper nodded, “It makes sure that the animals don’t go anywhere they’re not comfortable going.”</p><p>Anakin sighed. “I’ll take this bird.”</p><p>The bird happily fidgeted on its feet as the shop keeper came over to open the cage and put him in a new one. Instead of going into the cage, however, he settled on Anakin’s shoulder. Playfully, he leaned his head against the boy’s. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah. You’re just cozying up because I got you out of that cage,” Anakin muttered.</p><p>The bird tootled.</p><p>“Obi-Wan, pick a cat and let’s go,” Anakin said after paying for his new bird.</p><p>Obi-Wan looked down at the group of cats helplessly, “Oh, this is impossible.”</p><p>“Get the orange one. It looks like you,” Anakin teased.</p><p>The bird snickered.</p><p>Obi-Wan looked at the two of them as he picked up the tabby cat, “I feel like I’m looking at a match made in hell.”</p><p>Anakin and the bird shared a look. </p><p>“He’s just jealous,” Anakin whispered. “Jack of all trades, master of none, you know. His connection isn’t as strong as ours.”</p><p>The bird nodded in sage agreement as they walked out of the shop together. </p><p>In a way, Obi-Wan was right. Over the next few years, Anakin and his bird were inseparable… and always in trouble. Where one went, the other followed. Together they broke into various places, went on numerous adventures, usually with Obi-Wan bringing up the rear. They were scolded by Padmé when they deserved it, and the bird struck up an odd friendship with Padmé’s golden cat.  In the end, the bird found that Anakin had gone down a path of dark magic that he couldn’t follow. He chose a new master, someone with lighter magic. The impact on Anakin’s spell casting was apparent, with it being less precise and more dangerous due to the lack of control. </p><p>As the bird settled on the shoulder of his new master, deep down he had a slight fear that he had made the wrong choice that day in the pet shop. But, looking at his new master, he knew that had he not made that choice, he never would have gotten here, and here was a <em>very</em> good place to be. Happily, he tootled along on the new master’s shoulder as they walked off into the sunset on the course of their next adventure.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Potions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Anakin tries to use a love potion on his crush, it does not go as expected.</p><p>Characters: Anakin Skywalker/ Padmé Amidala, Mother Talzin</p><p>Warning: None</p><p>Word Count:~600</p>
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    <p>Anakin felt odd walking through this part of town. It was decidedly darker than anywhere he normally went. People peered at him as he past. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head to hide his face in the shadows. Looking down at the GPS on his phone, he noticed he was coming upon the shop he had been searching for. He clicked the phone screen off and went into the store, the action causing the bell to ring.</p><p>A woman came out from the back dressed all in red. She gave him an appraising once over. “And what can Mother Talzin do for you?”</p><p>“I hear you make love potions,” he said nervously.</p><p>She smirked. “Somehow I feel as though someone like you would not need the help of someone like me in that regard.”</p><p>“Oh, but I do,” he said, coming over to the counter. “She sees me like I’m still the nine-year old boy that she knew ten years ago. I want her to see me as a man.”</p><p>Mother Talzin nodded, turning away from him. She rummaged through her shelves before pulling some jars out. Carefully, she measured the appropriate doses into her mixing bowl. Then, she spooned the dry mixture into a medium vial for him, handing it over. “Two spoonfuls into a teapot. Steep for five minutes, then serve.”</p><p>“And this…<em>tea</em>, will make her fall in love with me?” Anakin asked skeptically.</p><p>“Do I look like a fraud?” she asked with a challenging brow.</p><p>“No. No, of course not,” he said, pulling out his wallet to pay her. He pocketed the vial and left. </p><p>After he got home, he texted Padmé to come over for a cup of tea. He smirked when she accepted, showing up twenty minutes later.  Soon enough, he was pouring her a cup of the special tea and watching her take a sip.</p><p>Her eyes lit up.</p><p>Anakin sat on the edge of his seat. “Well? What do you think?”</p><p>“I think this is an amazing cup of tea,” she replied. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”</p><p>Anakin deflated. “Right. You’re welcome.”</p><p>He couldn’t help the slight pout on his face. That stupid woman lied to him.</p><p>“Ani, what’s wrong?” Padmé asked, placing her cup back down on the table.</p><p>“Nothing,” he replied.</p><p>“You’re pouting. Tell me why,” she said, fixing him with a look that said he wasn’t getting out of it.</p><p>He started to panic. He couldn’t lie to her, but the truth was terrible. “W-well, I went to a-a um- a witch, for a potion.”</p><p>“A potion?” she asked.</p><p>“To… make you fall in love with me,” he said sheepishly before trying to recover. “But it clearly didn’t work, so the woman cheated me out of twenty bucks.”</p><p>Padmé blinked, processing it all. “We’ll come back to just how wrong that is later.”</p><p>“We will?” he asked in dread.</p><p>“But, first, it didn’t work because I already like you,” she chuckled.</p><p>“Yeah, as a friend,” he said, “I was hoping for more than that.”</p><p>“No, Anakin,” she said seriously, “I like you as more than a friend. I have for a while.”</p><p>“Oh,” he blinked. “Then why didn’t you say-”</p><p>“Because we both are very busy people and I didn’t think we had time to be in a relationship right now, regardless of what we feel,” she replied. “Now, looping back to the fact that you were going to use magic on me. Anakin, do you realize how <em>wrong</em> that is?” she asked incredulously.</p><p>Anakin gulped. Boy, was he in for it.</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Garden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Padmé discovers a secret garden while on a diplomatic mission, what could possibly go wrong?</p><p>Characters: Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~750</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The palace she was staying in while on her diplomatic mission was massive. It was so large that she and her Jedi protector, Obi-Wan Kenobi, were put in different, but adjacent wings. That was perfectly fine with her. They had had an argument on the way over about how, although she is capable, she needed to stop volunteering for dangerous missions to hostile planets. Padmé knew he was worried about her, but she could take care of herself. </p><p>The local monarch had given her complete freedom to roam about the palace and its grounds while he was discussing whether or not to join the Republic with his advisors. Currently, she was walking down a long hallway past her room. She wanted to get outside to sit in the fresh air. <em>Finally</em>, she thought as she found an exit. Opening the door, she found herself to be outside, standing in front of a stone wall covered in ivy. As she walked alongside it, she gently trailed her hand along the wall. Halfway along the wall, her hand dipped lower than it had been. She paused. Cautiously, she pressed her hand into the wall, finding that it pushed passed the ivy and connected with what felt like… wood? She smoothed the vines out of the way to reveal an old door with cast iron hinges. After casting a look around, she reached for the handle and opened the door. It creaked loudly on its hinges as it opened inward. </p><p>Padmé peaked her head in and saw a beautiful garden full of unfamiliar plants of varying sizes. She walked down a stone stairwell towards a small waterfall, not hearing the door close behind her over the sounds of the water. As she wandered through the garden, she began to lose all track of time while she admired the various flowers for their uniqueness. The scents were intoxicating and unlike anything she had experienced at home on Naboo. She mused about how she would very much like her own secret garden. Some of the plants were larger than she was, with flowers the size of her head. She paused to stroke the petals of various plants, finding the different textures pleasing to touch. It wasn’t until she noticed the sky overhead changing colors to signify sunset did she realize how late it had gotten. </p><p>“Well, I suppose I should head back,” she sighed, going towards the door. When she got to the door, she found that it wouldn’t budge. She tried to take a calming breath. After all, someone would find her eventually, right? They’d come looking for her and she’d be found. That was the logical course of action. She walked back to the waterfall and settled down on a rock to wait. What she didn’t notice were the green tendrils slowly slinking towards her across the grass until it was too late. </p><p>The tendrils slipped up her legs, grabbing her and climbing upwards to cover up to her chest in vines. She let out a scream, praying to the force that someone would hear her.</p><p>“Padmé!” she heard a voice yell.</p><p>“Obi-Wan!” she yelled back.</p><p>“Padmé, I’m coming, where are you?” he called out.</p><p>“There’s a door in the wall. There’s a garden. Be careful that the door doesn’t close. There…. there are vines and they’re- <em>mmmfffmm</em>,” her answer was cut off by the vines wrapping around her face. She strained against them, feeling them tighten around her neck, cutting off her air supply. She heard the sound of a lightsaber igniting and footsteps running towards her as her vision started to go black.</p><p>When she came to, she was back in her bed in the palace. She slowly blinked her eyes open. When she remembered the vines, her hand flew to her neck. </p><p>“It’s bruised, darling. You’ll have to wear some interesting necklaces to hide them,” Obi-Wan said from the chair next to her bed. “Are you alright?”</p><p>“I… I am, but I wouldn’t have been without you,” she murmured, eyes softening. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I can’t keep going on these dangerous diplomatic missions by myself. If you hadn’t been there…”</p><p>“I don’t want to think about it,” he replied, taking her hand and kissing it. “Rest now. The King and his Council came to a decision while you were unconscious. They decided to join the Republic. We’ll be leaving to Coruscant in the morning to report back to the Senate.” He went to get up, but she didn’t let go of his hand.</p><p>“Stay,” she said softly. “<em>Please</em>.”</p><p>“Alright, Senator,” he smiled gently, “Scoot over.”</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Cauldron</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When three kids and their dog see the hermit who lives at the edge of the woods using a cauldron, they have to investigate.</p><p>Characters: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~850</p>
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    <p>“Did you know that there’s a warlock that lives in the forest?” Luke asked one morning at breakfast.</p><p>“Now, Luke, why would you say that?” Aunt Beru asked.</p><p>“Han saw him,” Luke said, taking a sip of milk. “Says he has a beard and lives by himself. He was even using a cauldron.”</p><p>“That’s not a witch, that’s just the hermit, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” his uncle said, coming to sit at the table. </p><p>“I worry about him hanging out with that Solo boy, Owen,” Aunt Beru murmured. “He’s a bad influence.”</p><p>“Nonsense, Beru. They’re just boys. Luke, just promise me you’ll stay away from that man,” Uncle Owen said sternly.</p><p>“Yes, Uncle,” Luke replied, but his fingers were crossed under the table. He quickly finished up his breakfast when he heard a knock at the door. “That’s gotta be Han and Leia. Can I go out to play?”</p><p>“Yes, sweetheart, just be home before it gets too dark,” Aunt Beru told him.</p><p>Luke sprung up and ran out the door, grabbing his coat on the way out. He was met on the porch by his friends, Han and Leia, and Han’s dog, Chewwie. </p><p>“So are we going to go climb some trees?” Leia asked with a mischievous glint.</p><p>“Why, so you can fall, your worshipfulness?” Han snickered.</p><p>“I can climb higher than you any day, <em>you</em>-<em>you</em>- <em>scruffy looking nerf herder!</em>” Leia said before sticking her tongue out at him.</p><p>“Oh yeah?” Han asked.</p><p>“Yeah!” she shot back.</p><p>“Guys!” Luke said, wrapping a placating arm around either of his friends. “We’ll climb some trees…. after we investigate the warlock in the woods.”</p><p>“I like the way you think, Skywalker,” Han grinned. “Come on, Chewwie, let’s go!”</p><p>The three kids made their way to the edge of the forest, creeping along the bushes towards the hermit’s house. Smoke came out of the chimney, and they peaked through the dirty windows to see the old man hunched over a big black pot on the fire.</p><p>“See! It’s the cauldron! I told you I wasn’t lying,” Han hissed at Leia.</p><p>Leia gave him a nonchalant shrug. “Just because he has a big black pot doesn’t mean he’s a warlock. He could just be making soup.”</p><p>“Then what’s that powder he’s stirring in? Hmmmm?” Han questioned.</p><p>“Soup in a pot that big when he lives by himself?” Luke asked. “No, he’s gotta be up to something.”</p><p>“We gotta smoke him out,” Han said with a grin.</p><p>“But how?” Luke asked.</p><p>“Guys, I don’t know about this,” Leia said. “My mom and dad said the hermit was just a nice man who got tired of living with people. I don’t think he’s a warlock.”</p><p>“Or the hermit is a man who was kicked out of town for being a warlock,” Han countered.</p><p>Luke sighed, “Either way, we gotta get to the bottom of this.”</p><p>“But, what if he really is a warlock? Wouldn’t investigating his home make him mad?” Leia asked. “I don’t think you’ve thought this through very well.”</p><p>Luke and Han shared a look. </p><p>“Anyways, we’ll use Chewwie as bait,” Han planned, talking to Luke about how they were going to figure it out. Leia rolled her eyes.<em> Stupid boys.</em></p><p>While they weren’t paying attention, Leia walked up to the hermit’s front door and gave it a nice firm knock. That caught the boys’ attention.</p><p>“Leia! What are you doing?” Luke asked.</p><p>“Are you crazy?!” Han hissed.</p><p>The door opened and the old hermit looked down at the young tween girl on his front step. “Well hello there, little one. Can I help you?”</p><p>Leia shot the boys a glance and smirked up at the man. “Oh, yes, please. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope. You see, these dumb boys that I have the misfortune of playing with seem to think you’re a warlock. I think they’re wrong. Can you help me prove that I’m right?”</p><p>Obi-Wan chuckled, nonchalantly scanning the area. The boys hid in a bush. “Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt. Come inside, and leave the door open for when your friends decide to stop hiding in the bushes and come in.”</p><p>The old man made his way back into the house and Leia followed, shooting a wink at her friends.</p><p>“So, why do they think I’m a warlock, little one?” Obi-Wan asked, going over to stir his cauldron.</p><p>“Because you have a big black pot!” Han said, walking into the home. “Only witches and warlocks have cauldrons.”</p><p>“What kind of potion are you brewing?” Luke asked curiously as he peeked into the pot.</p><p>“Oh, a special kind of potion,” Obi-Wan replied with a playful glint in his eye.</p><p>“See! I told you, Leia!” Han smirked smugly.</p><p>“What’s it do?” Luke asked.</p><p>“It… cleans!” he grinned, using the wooden stirring stick to pick up a soiled shirt from the cauldron. “I’m doing laundry.”</p><p>Han and Luke’s face fell. Leia laughed so hard she cried.</p><p>When everything had settled down, Obi-Wan Kenobi gave the kids a cookie each. “Now, is there anything else I could do for you?”</p><p>“Just don’t tell our parents,” Luke grinned.</p><p></p><div>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Candle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When you have to keep your meetings secret, what better way to signal than with a candle?</p><p>Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Padmé Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, Barris </p><p>Warnings: None? Ummm implicit smut? Like it’s implied but it’s not stated</p><p>Word Count:~1000</p>
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    <p>The house on the hill was haunted. Everyone in town knew that. After all, what other excuse was there for a candle to be lit in a different window every weekend? As the legend goes, the house was haunted by the ghost of the old owner who’s husband went off to sea and never returned. She’d leave a candle lit in the window every night in case he came home. Or so the legend said. </p><p>When candles showed up again years after the widow died, no one batted an eye thinking that perhaps the widow was back and looking to be reunited with her husband in death. However, they would be furthest from the truth. The house was passed on to a living relative of the widow, a great niece named Padmé who was the state’s governor. She had the house cleaned, and would host parties there from time to time, although her actual residence was further in the city. Or so everyone believed. Few knew the truth. In fact, only two. It was a secret that had been kept for years, until one night.</p><p>That night, Padmé lit her candle, placing it on the windowsill in the parlor overlooking the back of the estate. Then, she settled onto the couch and she waited, unaware of the observer across the street.</p><p>“Don’t you think its weird how the candle only appears on the weekends,” Ahsoka commented to her friend as she looked through her binoculars.</p><p>“So the ghost is busy during the week,” Barriss shrugged, not even looking up from her book. “Do you always spy on empty houses? Surely you have something better to do.”</p><p>“I’m telling you, Barriss, there’s something really wrong here,” Ahsoka said adamantly. “Something’s just not adding up.” She shook her head and put the binoculars down and went back to studying, taking Barriss’ advice.</p><p>Padmé looked into the fireplace, admiring the warm hearth when she heard the sound of the window being pushed up. A small smile came over her face as she turned to watch a man blow out the candle before hoisting himself into the room and shutting the window behind him. He picked up the candle and walked it back over to her.</p><p>“Darling, I believe this belongs to you,” Obi-Wan winked.</p><p>“You came,” Padmé grinned.</p><p>“I always do.”</p><p>She stood up to let him envelope her in his arms as they embraced.</p><p>“Do you think there will ever be a time when we won’t have to sneak around?” she asked softly.</p><p>“I hope so,” Obi-Wan admitted, cupping her face.</p><p>“Just not as long as I’m in office and you’re head of the police department,” she sighed.</p><p>“It would ruin your image and mine, making people think that you promoted me to play favorites,” he replied, kissing her softly.</p><p>“I promoted you because you were good at your job. This didn’t come til after,” she replied.</p><p>“The people won’t know that,” Obi-Wan sighed, sitting on the couch and pulling her into his lap. “Besides, sneaking around like this is the closest to being a criminal I’ll ever get.”</p><p>“You’re terrible,” she giggled, kissing his nose. Playfully, he picked her up and brought her to the bedroom to continue their reunion.</p><p>Across the street, the girls were studying when Ahsoka absentmindedly looked out the window.</p><p>“Okay, you won’t believe this, but the candle is out,” Ahsoka said, dropping her textbook. “Barriss, we have to go investigate.”</p><p>“Ahsoka, that’s ridiculous. What if it’s just the governor coming home for the weekend?”</p><p>“Why would she be there and not at her house?” Ahsoka asked, pacing the room.</p><p>“I don’t know. I don’t know how those rich people think, or how they split their time between multiple houses. I only have one.”</p><p>“Touché,” Ahsoka said, wagging her finger at her. “We have to go take a look.”</p><p>“If we take a look, will you finally give it up and let me do my homework?”</p><p>Ahsoka nodded.</p><p>Barriss sighed. “Fine. Let’s get going.”</p><p>The two teens made their way to the house, creeping along the shadows to where they had last seen the window.</p><p>“It was definitely in this one,” Ahsoka said before peeking up into the room. “Look! The fire’s going.”</p><p>“Alright, I’ll admit that’s suspicious,” Barriss said.</p><p>Ahsoka tried the window, finding it to be unlocked. Quietly, she lifted the window, opening it wide enough for the two of them to slip through.</p><p>“Is that….”</p><p>“A shoe?” Ahsoka said, picking up a man’s loafer from the floor.</p><p>“There’s a trail,” Barriss commented.</p><p>They shared a look.</p><p>“Okay, <em>ew</em>. I do <em>not</em> want to follow where that trail leads,” Ahsoka admitted. </p><p>“Maybe we don’t have to,” Barriss murmured, picking up a badge from the coffee table. </p><p>Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “No way!”</p><p>“I’ll be right back, darling, I’m just going to get some water,” a man’s voice said from upstairs. The two girls froze in panic, hearing footsteps come down the stairs and get closer. </p><p>“We’ve gotta go,” Ahsoka whispered.</p><p>“Quick, out the window!” Barriss replied.</p><p>The two of them went to sneak over to the window, stepping on a creaky floor board.</p><p>“Is someone in there?” the man said, coming closer to the room.</p><p>The girls’ eyes widened as a man in his underwear stepped into view.</p><p>“Chief Kenobi!” Ahsoka gasped.</p><p>Obi-Wan blushed, “Listen, little ones, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but breaking and entering is not something I would like to put on your records. How about you get out of here and go back home.”</p><p>“Obi? Who are you talking to?” A woman called from upstairs.</p><p>“Yes, Sir. We saw nothing,” Ahsoka said before crawling back out the window followed by Barriss and running home.</p><p>Padmé came down the stairs behind him, robe flowing behind her. She smoothed her hand up his bare chest. </p><p>“Dear, who were you talking to?” she asked.</p><p>“Just myself,” he smirked, turning back to wrap an arm around her. “Come on, let’s go back to bed.”</p><p>He scooped her back up, causing her to chuckle as he carried her back to bed.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Tarot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Padmé Amidala stops by the fortune teller booth at the fall carnival, hoping to learn more about her chances with her crush, but soon learns that perhaps there’s something else in the cards for her.</p><p>Characters: Padmé Amidala, Yoda, Sabé</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~ 900</p>
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    <p>Padmé always loved when the fall carnival came to town. There weren’t many things happening in the fall, with the change of the weather and all, so when the carnival came to town, it marked the beginning of the season. Although it was open from ten in the morning until ten at night, everyone knew that the real fun in the carnival started when the sun went down. That was when all the interesting entertainers came out to play. They were the entertainers that were not suitable for children, since they were bizarre, and sometimes sinister looking. All the adults knew it was just for show, but if a child was there? They may not ever sleep again.</p><p>When her friends had suggested sneaking out of her estate to go at night, Padmé had jumped at the idea. After all, she had never been allowed to go after sunset when she was younger. However, now that she was an adult, she could do as she pleased. They made their way to the carnival, following the trail of lanterns down the forest path into the large field between the mountains. Her arm was tucked into Sabé’s as they made their way closer. </p><p>“Are you excited?” Sabé asked playfully.</p><p>“To go to the carnival that we go to every year?” Padmé asked seriously before breaking out into a smile, “Of course!”</p><p>The carnival came into view and their footsteps quickened.</p><p>It was a different atmosphere at night. What was whimsical during the day became a little darker, and a little more charged when the sun went down. Padmé couldn’t help the shiver that went down her spine as she walked through the red and yellow arch that was lit up in the dark. Her friends all dispersed in different directions, looking for snacks or games to play as Padmé looked over all of the signs advertising the attractions. She paused thoughtfully in front of a sign for a psychic who did Tarot readings.</p><p>“That could be fun,” Sabé teased, coming up to nudge her, “Maybe you’ll finally be able to see what’s in the cards for you and Skywalker.”</p><p>Padmé blushed, “It can’t be real, can it? It’s just a bunch of vague statements that may or may not apply to me.”</p><p>“Or it could be accurate,” Sabé shrugged. “Either way, it should be fun.”</p><p>“Sabé, come on! There’s a bearded lady in the tent over there!” Yané called out.</p><p>“Duty calls,” Sabé winked before running off to check it out.</p><p>Padmé gave one last thoughtful glance to the advertisement before heading off towards the tent.<em> Sabé is right,</em> she thought, <em>regardless of the accuracy, it’ll be fun.</em></p><p>She pushed away the beads that led into the tent and settled in a chair at the table in the middle of the room. Looking around, she saw a wide array of occult items, such as a crystal ball, various books and some glass canisters filled with odds and ends.</p><p>“Be with you, in a moment I will,” an old man’s voice came from the attached wagon. </p><p>Padmé inspected the deck of cards on the table. Gently, she traced her finger over the gold inlay border.</p><p>“Here for a reading, you are, yes?” the old man asked, coming into view.</p><p>He was small in stature, with big eyes that took in the world with a certain kind of knowing behind them, like he could see things that the ordinary person could not. He walked with a cane, hobbling into the tent before sitting on the stool across from her.</p><p>“Yes, please. I was hoping for a card reading,” Padmé blushed.</p><p>“Yes,” the man said knowingly. “Master Yoda knows all.”</p><p>Master Yoda shuffled his deck before spreading the cards around with his heavily arthritic hand. He held his hand out over the cards, closing his eyes thoughtfully before reaching down to pick up the card. He flipped it over with a flourish.</p><p>“A man, there is for you in your life, strong and kind,” Master Yoda murmured, “Eyes like the ocean.”</p><p>Padmé blushed, thinking about Anakin, “Yes.”</p><p>He flipped over another card, “Strong in character, he is. Wise and humble.”</p><p>Padmé grinned, Anakin was very strong, and he had a way of seeing things differently.</p><p>Another card. “Trust this man you do. Tell him anything, you can. Trust <em>you</em>, he does.”</p><p>Padmé paused. That wasn’t Anakin. She knew Anakin liked her, but she kept many secrets from him. The only man she knew she could trust like that <em>was…</em> Her eyes widened.</p><p>“Not who you expected, hmmmm?” Master Yoda asked.</p><p>“No,” she admitted softly. “Does this mean I’m pursuing the wrong man?”</p><p>Master Yoda smiled gently at her. “Rule our lives, the cards do not. Still our own choices, we are free to make. Open our eyes to new possibilities, the cards do.”</p><p>Padmé nodded, understanding that ultimately the decision was up to her. Yet, she couldn’t help but think about Obi-Wan in a new light. She paid the man the price and got up to leave, bumping into a hard chest outside the tent.</p><p>“Padmé? I didn’t expect to see you here,” a man said, smiling down at her.</p><p>Her heart skipped a beat, “Well, Obi-Wan, sometimes we find people when we least expect it.”</p><p>“I was going to ride the ferris wheel. Would you care to join me?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.</p><p>“I’d love to.”</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Crystals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Anakin Skywalker uses yet another lightsaber, Obi-Wan tells him he’s on his own to build a new one.</p><p>Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Huyang</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~950</p>
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    <p>“So, Master, when are we going back to Ilum this time?” Anakin asked on the ride back to Coruscant.</p><p>“We? Oh, my dear Padawan, there is no <em>we</em> this time. You’re going on your own with the younglings,” Obi-Wan smirked, “Perhaps this will teach you to hold onto your lightsaber more carefully. After all, -”</p><p>“This weapon is your life,” Anakin sighed.</p><p>Obi-Wan clapped him on the shoulder, “Glad we could come to an understanding.”</p><p>When the ship touched down on Coruscant, Obi-Wan escorted Anakin over to the <em>Crucible</em>.</p><p>“I’ll see you when you get back,” Obi-Wan winked.</p><p>“Try not to need me while I’m gone,” Anakin shot back.</p><p>“Even if I did, you couldn’t help without your saber,” he chuckled as he walked off to meet with the Council.</p><p>Anakin grumbled and got in line behind the other younglings as they got onto the ship. This was going to be a long trip.</p><p>“Alright, children, I’m sure you have many questions about-” the droid trailed off as he came face to face with Anakin. “Oh, not <em>you</em> again.”</p><p>“Me again,” he said giving a small wave.</p><p>“Children, Padawan Skywalker here is a prime example of what <em>not</em> to be,” Huyang said. </p><p>“And what’s that?” Anakin said, bristling.</p><p>“Someone who doesn’t take good care of their lightsaber. Do you think the material for these weapons grow on trees?” the droid asked incredulously.</p><p>“Well, for the ones with the wooden hilts, yes,” Anakin shot back.</p><p>The droid glared at him, if droids could glare. “Anyway, as I was saying, I’m sure you have many questions about building your lightsaber. I will answer them once you have gathered your crystals from the cavern on Ilum. Until then, feel free to look around the ship. Just stay out of trouble.”</p><p>Anakin sighed and settled into a seat, leaning back.</p><p>“Padawan Skywalker, is it true that Master Kenobi can talk to animals?” a youngling asked.</p><p>“Is it true that Master Kenobi defeated a Sith Lord?” another one asked.</p><p>“Is his beard soft?” a little one grinned.</p><p>Anakin sighed in annoyance, “No, Yes, and I don’t know. I don’t go around feeling other men’s beards, and neither should you.”</p><p>The younglings deflated slightly. </p><p>“You’re lucky to have a Master like him,” the first youngling said. “Master Kenobi is my hero.”</p><p>Anakin felt bad for snapping at them. He sighed and looked at them. “He’s mine too.”</p><p>The corvette dropped out of hyperspace and landed on Ilum. The group filed out and stood in front of the entrance to the cavern.</p><p>Anakin hated the cold almost as much as he hated sand. In a way, snow was just wet, cold sand. He helped open the cavern and went with the younglings into the cave. A shiver went down his spine as he was pulled towards the darker recesses of the cave. He heard a voice, Padmé’s voice, crying out in pain. He ran towards her. He hadn’t seen her in years, but he promised himself back in the junk shop on Tatooine that he would always protect her.</p><p>Her voice surrounded him. </p><p>“Ani, help me. “</p><p>“There’s still good in him.”</p><p>“You’re going down a path I can’t follow.”</p><p>Her voice hammered in his head. He covered his ears with his hands, but they still broke through. </p><p>“It isn’t real, it isn’t real!” he seethed.</p><p>He walked further into the darkness. It felt like his heartbeat was echoing off the walls. Then, he saw it, his crystal. It was on one side of the cavern, and Padmé was on the other, about to fall into the abyss. He swallowed. So this was his biggest fear now, letting go. He let out a shaky breath as he took a step towards the crystal. She started to slip.</p><p>“You’re not real,” he said, but a tear was sliding down his cheek. He powered through the emotions towards the crystal, trying to block out her pleas for help. As his hand was about to grasp the crystal, he heard her scream as she fell. He closed his hand around the crystal and sat down to sob.</p><p>After a few minutes, he pushed up off the icy floor and started to walk back, feeling the darkness recede the further he went until he was out in the daylight, the last of the group to make it out. </p><p>“Are you alright, Padawan Skywalker?” one of the younglings asked.</p><p>He nodded. “I’m fine. Let’s just get back to the ship. It’s cold out here.”</p><p>The group made it back and Huyang started to teach the younglings how to build their lightsabers. Anakin settled into a corner with the parts for his new weapon. He closed his eyes, focusing on feeling the parts in front of him. Slowly, they started to lift and fit together in a precise way that only his lightsaber could. He held his hand out, letting the weapon gently land in his hand before opening his eyes and igniting it.</p><p>“Woah!” The younglings said in awe.</p><p>Huyang fixed him a look, “Yes, just as amazing the… tell me, this is number <em>five</em>, isn’t it?”</p><p>Anakin blushed. “Something like that.”</p><p>“Hopefully this one lasts longer,” the droid chuckled.</p><p>The ship touched down on Coruscant and Anakin went out to meet his waiting Master.</p><p>“Well? How was the trip?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“Successful,” Anakin said, presenting his lightsaber with a flourish.</p><p>“Don’t lose this one,” Obi-Wan smirked, “There are only so many crystals in that cavern.”</p><p>“I’ll try not to, Master.”</p><p>“Do or do not, Padawan. There is no try.”</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Horns</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When every bad decision he makes causes the horns to grow until he turns into a devil, what’s Anakin Skywalker to do?</p><p>Characters: Anakin Skywalker</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~800</p>
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    <p>Anakin Skywalker woke up one day and ran his hand through his hair. His eyes widened as he felt bumps protruding from his head. Running over to see his reflection, he parted his hair to find the offending bumps. When had they gotten there? <em>Why</em> were they there? He had so many questions, and not enough answers. </p><p>He got up and went to Padmé, telling her about his mother and his nightmares. They needed to go on Tatooine. </p><p>He had found his mother, and taken care of the people that had harmed her. The nightmares had stopped, but when he woke the next morning, he could have sworn that the bumps were larger. He pushed the thought away as paranoia.</p><p>Years passed by, and the bumps never grew, until one day on a starship. The Chancellor screamed at him to do it. To kill the man who’s head was between his saber blades. So he did. It was an order from the Chancellor, after all. How could he possibly disobey?</p><p>The next morning, he found that the bumps had broken through his skin. Now, they were horns that he could just barely hide in his hair. He just hoped that Padmé and Obi-Wan wouldn’t notice them.</p><p>He said goodbye to his Master who was off to capture the Separatist’s General. Obi-Wan told him that he was proud of him. Anakin swallowed the guilt in his throat, thinking about the horns on his head and the actions that had probably caused them to grow there.</p><p>After he left, Anakin returned to his room and ruminated on what they could mean. What was he turning into? Was it due to his actions? He gently touched the horns on his head. Were they so bad as to render him disfigured? Probably not. Padmé would still love him, wouldn’t she? He’d love her still if she had grown horns. He wondered if he should talk to someone about them. Perhaps the Chancellor? No, he had had a little too much of the Chancellor lately. </p><p>The news that the Chancellor was a Sith Lord hit him like a ton of duracrete. </p><p>“My boy, I can help make all your problems go away,” he had told him, “Only a Sith can do that.”</p><p>Anakin thought of Padmé. He needed to save her, and perhaps saving her would also save himself? </p><p>When the Chancellor was on the brink of death, Anakin stepped in to protect him. He felt pain rip through him as he watched Master Windu fall from the window down to the Coruscant below. Pain in his heart, pain in his head, a cognitive dissonance that resulted in longer horns protruding from his forehead. </p><p>But, the Chancellor said he could help. He’d do what he must.</p><p>He killed the younglings. He slaughtered the temple. Yet, the horns continued to grow.</p><p>He could end the war. He went to slaughter the Separatists. That should reverse it all. Ending a war was a good act, wasn’t it? </p><p>Padmé walked off the ship and stared at him in horror. The horns had been hidden by his cloak when he had visited her on Coruscant, but now they were on full display. She shook her head at him, crying. </p><p>“You’re going down a path I cannot follow,” she sobbed.</p><p>He saw Obi-Wan exit the ship. A knot formed in his stomach. Had she known about the horns all along? Had she fallen in love with another, normal man? Had she fallen in love with his mentor? Rage hit him, and his hand went up on its own accord, cutting off her air supply. The horns grew.</p><p>“Let her go, Anakin,” Obi-Wan called out.</p><p>Almost as if realizing what he was doing, he dropped her like a rag doll. </p><p>The fight that followed was exhausting, and ended in him staring up at his former Master. The other man looked down at him as if watching a devil rise from the depths of hell in the old texts. Obi-Wan shook his head at him.</p><p>“You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you,” he said sadly.</p><p>“I hate you,” Anakin shot back. After all, the only reason they didn’t like him was because of his horns, right?</p><p>The lava burned at him, making him scream in agony. He was a pathetic devil, deserted by the light. Darkness surrounded, sinking in as his eyes closed from the pain.</p><p>When he opened them again, he was in bed. On Coruscant. He was drenched in sweat and breathing heavy. His concerned wife was in bed beside him.</p><p>“Anakin, are you alright?” she asked, fear in her eyes.</p><p>He shot out of bed and ran to check his reflection. The horns weren’t there. It had all been a dream. He let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>“I’m fine.”</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Ghost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When Padmé ends up meeting a ghost in her new palace, she’ll do whatever she can to help him find peace.</p><p>Characters: Padmé Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi </p><p>Warnings: Not really a warning. Just an explanation. Young!Obidala AU where Padmé’s age is more like what it was in the concept of TPM, which was a “young adult” according to some various sources.</p><p>Word Count:~1800</p>
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    <p>“Sleep well, my lady,” her handmaiden told her before leaving her in peace. The bed in the lake house was quite large and comfortable, but she had no intention of sleeping. Once the door was closed and she had counted to thirty, she slipped out of bed before slipping on her robe and a pair of slippers. It was an old palace. It was bound to have secret passages. With a grin on her face, she started to tug on every wall sconce she could. Those always opened the secret hatches in the holos. After a successful tug, the wall opened up into a dark hall. Carefully, she took a candle from her dresser, lit it, and continued down the hall. </p><p>Soon, she found herself in a maze of tunnels that spread out in all directions. Saying an old children’s rhyme, she chose a hall to continue down, following its twists and turns into a larger chamber lined with bookshelves. In the middle sat a desk. </p><p>“A secret library!” she said in awe. She browsed the titles on the shelves, finding they were all unfamiliar. Then, she went to head back the way she thought she had come.</p><p>She walked further and further to no avail. </p><p>“Great, Padmé,” she sighed to herself. “You’re a queen lost in her own palace.”</p><p>“Hello there,” a voice said. </p><p>She jumped, turning to find a blue see-through man. Her eyes widened as she slowly backed away.</p><p>“Are you lost?” the man asked, stepping towards her.</p><p>“You’re a- you’re a-” she stammered.</p><p>He looked down and sighed, almost embarrassed. “Force Ghost.” He held up his hands placatingly, “But I’m not here to hurt you. I wanted to help you find your way back.”</p><p>Padmé took a deep breath. Friendly force ghost. Got it. “Alright, I suppose I’ll follow you.”</p><p>He offered her his hand. She went to take it, her own passing through it as a shiver went down her spine.</p><p>The ghost looked like he was blushing. “Sorry, darling. I forgot. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone down here.”</p><p>He started to lead her back.</p><p>“What’s your name?” she asked after a few moments of silence.</p><p>“Obi-Wan Kenobi,” he grinned.</p><p>“If you don’t mind my asking… how did you…. you know,” she murmured.</p><p>“Die?” he asked softly. When she nodded, he went on, “That’s the problem, truly. I don’t remember. For some reason, I don’t even think I really am dead.”</p><p>“Why’s that?” she asked out of curiosity.</p><p>“I hear a beating. Like a heart. It’s faint, and it’s slow, but it is steady and it is there,” he explained.</p><p>“If you’re not dead, then how can you be here?” she asked.</p><p>He thought about if for a moment. “Astral projection, I presume.”</p><p>“Only Jedi can-” she trailed off as if noticing his clothes for the first time. “Oh.”</p><p>“Enough about me,” he grinned, “Tell me about you.”</p><p>“There’s not much to tell, I’m afraid,” she blushed. “My name is Padmé, but everyone around here knows me as Queen Amidala. I was recently elected Queen of Naboo.”</p><p>“That’s impressive,” he said. “Certainly more to tell than you think.” He gave her a slight bow, “I am humbled to be in the presence of a monarch.”</p><p>“You flatter me,” she chuckled as they got back to her door. It was closed.</p><p>“Well, that won’t do. Wait here,” Obi-Wan instructed before passing through the wall. He moved the sconce on the other side, opening the door. “Home, sweet home.”</p><p>“Thank you,” she grinned.</p><p>“You’re welcome, your highness. I hope I get to show you more of what the palace has to offer,” he murmured, giving her a lopsided grin. He held his hand out to her, and she tried her best to place her hand in it. He leaned forward to kiss her knuckles. She bit her lip. Did she have a crush on a ghost?</p><p>“Good night, Obi-Wan,” she murmured as he started to back away towards the wall.</p><p>“Good night, Padmé,” he winked before leaving.</p><p>Padmé flopped back on her bed and blew her hair out of her face. She was smitten. She also had a new secret mission: To learn as much about the Jedi as possible. If it was true that he was still alive, she’d do everything in her power to help him. With that thought in mind, she went to bed, determined to get answers from the palace’s caretaker in the morning.</p><p>She woke before her handmaidens and slipped into the gardens to find the caretaker looking after some roses.</p><p>“Your highness,” he said, “You’re up early. Is there something I could do for you?”</p><p>“Actually, yes,” she replied. Then, she lowered her voice, “But this stays between us.”</p><p>“Of course, you highness.”</p><p>“I saw a man last night while I was exploring the tunnels.”</p><p>“There shouldn’t have been anyone down there. The tunnels have been deserted for years. Only I and the Captain of the Guard know about their existence in case of emergency,” the caretaker said.</p><p>“I know. He wasn’t… he wasn’t alive. At least, not in the sense that we are. My hand went through him. When I was lost, he led me back to my room,” she murmured.</p><p>“You saw him,” he said in awe.</p><p>“Saw who?” she asked, playing dumb in hopes of getting more answers.</p><p>“The Ghost of the Jedi,” he replied. “You’ve never heard the Legend?”</p><p>“Legend? What Legend?” Now she truly didn’t know what was going on.</p><p>“The Legend of the True Knight,” he replied, “According to the Legend, a Jedi Knight battled a fearsome foe long ago. The foe won, but instead of killing him, his magic was too weak for that, it put the Jedi into a sleep. Neither dead, nor truly alive, the Jedi Knight was in limbo. The Knight’s Master, unable to truly get rid of the body, placed it in a glass coffin and hid it away until the day that he could be set free. Whoever sets him free is to be his ruler for the rest of his life, and he their knight.”</p><p>Padmé listened intently, “Has the knight appeared before anyone else?”</p><p>“No,” he replied.</p><p>“Then how do you know the story is true?” she asked softly.</p><p>“Aside from the look in your eyes… I’ve seen the coffin. I was a young man at the time, exploring the tunnels so that I would know which ones were important. I happened upon the crystal coffin in one of the halls. Inside was a Jedi Knight,” the caretaker told her.</p><p>“And you didn’t help him?”</p><p>“I couldn’t. I’m not meant to be the one that breaks the curse. I couldn’t even open the casket.”</p><p>“Do you remember where the room is?” she asked desperately.</p><p>“I’m sorry, your highness. It’s been so long,” the caretaker replied. “If you’ll excuse me, I have more to do in the garden.</p><p>Padmé nodded, dismissing him. She walked back to her room, lost in thought. If she was the only one he had ever appeared before… did that mean that she was to break the curse?</p><p>That night, she resolved to tell him of her plan, meeting him in the library again..</p><p>“So, you think that if you can find my coffin, then you can break this curse?” he asked thoughtfully.</p><p>“I do. Could you take me to your coffin?” she asked.</p><p>He blushed and looked down. “Well, darling, I’m afraid I don’t know where it is.”</p><p>“Well, I have two years to find it, but I’d like to find it sooner rather than later,” she said. “Come on.”</p><p>Every night for weeks, they searched the passages, trying to find his coffin. All the while, they were learning more about each other. They swapped childhood stories, hopes and dreams, and a great friendship started to blossom.</p><p>Eventually, they found the coffin. The two of them shared a look of excitement as she raced to the side of the crystal casket. Reverently, she ran her hand along it before pushing it open.</p><p>“Well, now what?” he asked.</p><p>“I… I don’t know,” she admitted. </p><p>He placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright. Even if you don’t break the curse, I have had a wonderful time just being with you.”</p><p>“But, Obi-Wan, I can break the curse. I don’t know how, but I can feel that this is what I’m meant to do,” she said adamantly. She studied his body closely, noting that he wasn’t breathing. “Perhaps if I breath air into you?” </p><p>He shrugged, “It’s worth a shot.”</p><p>“What if it doesn’t work?” she asked nervously.</p><p>“Oh, but darling, what if it does?” He rested her forehead against hers. “To be your Knight, will be the greatest honor.”</p><p>She swallowed, leaning over the casket. Her thumb settled into the cleft of his chin, gently tugging his lips open. Padmé took a deep breath before pressing her lips to his to create a seal. She breathed into him, watching his lungs expand. Then, she pulled back. </p><p>“How will I know if it-?” she trailed off when she noticed the force ghost was no longer with her. </p><p>“Obi-Wan?” No answer. “Obi-Wan!” She sat next to the casket, a silent tear slipping down her cheek. </p><p>“No need to yell,” a voice came from behind her. “I may have been out for force knows how long, but I can assure you that my hearing is perfectly fine.”</p><p>Padmé stiffened, turning her head to see the young man in the casket sitting up and giving her the biggest grin.</p><p>“It worked,” she murmured in awe.</p><p>“I knew you could do it,” he grinned, getting out and offering her his hand to help her up.</p><p>Slowly, she placed her hand in his, grinning when skin met skin and a warmth enveloped her hand. In seconds, she was in his arms, hugging him close.</p><p>He hugged her back tightly, kissing her forehead. When he pulled back, he smoothed her hair out of her face before cupping her cheek. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this.”</p><p>“Probably for as long as I wanted to do this,” she said softly before tipping up on her toes to kiss him. Her arms encircled his neck as he held her flush against him, returning her kiss with feeling. When they pulled back for air, they were both blushing.</p><p>“So you are to be my knight, then?” she asked softly.</p><p>“It would be the greatest honor to serve my Queen,” he grinned.</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Cryptid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Han Solo leads a group of tourists on a hunt for Bigfoot.</p><p>Characters: Han Solo, Chewbacca</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~800</p>
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    <p>“Chewwie, this may be our best idea yet,” Han grinned.</p><p>Chewbacca gave him a look.</p><p>“Listen, this planet is almost in wild space. What do you think the odds are of them seeing a Wookie before? Or even knowing what one is?” Han asked.</p><p>Chewbacca made some noises as if to say,<em> You’ve got a point.</em></p><p>“I know I do. That’s why we’re here. Now, head into the woods. I’ll get the first group of suckers and I’ll meet you out there soon. Be prepared to give them a show,” he said seriously.</p><p>Chewbacca nodded and stalked off into the forest.</p><p>Han rubbed his hands together and went towards the town. “Alright, let’s do this.”</p><p>He walked towards the booth he had set up that said: <em>“Bigfoot Tours, catch Bigfoot in his natural habitat. 10 credits a ticket.”</em></p><p>Soon after he sat down, a crowd of the local population was standing in front of him, holding out their credits. <em>Oh, Han, you are a genius</em>, he smirked to himself.</p><p>“Alright, alright, everyone, put your credits in here and I’ll take the first group of you into the forest!” Han exclaimed before, collecting the credits. He placed the change purse in his pocket before gathering his tour group and heading into the woods. He nonchalantly pressed a button on his comm link to let Chewbacca know they were coming.</p><p>“As you can see, the woods are a fairly dark place, which is perfect for the Bigfoot that likes to live in the shadows,” Han grinned, giving the tour a little guided show. “They like to eat meat, and the best way to sneak up on their prey is in the dark. Just stay close to the group so that you won’t be hunted.”</p><p>A small whimper came from the crowd that huddled closer together as they walked deeper into the forest. Han turned his back to them and smirked. Force, it was <em>so</em> easy.</p><p>Chewbacca was to wait for them in a clearing off to the side that he and Han had agreed upon. When Han saw his co-pilot up ahead instead, he let out a frustrated sigh.</p><p>Han muttered under his breath, “That wasn’t what we agreed upon.”</p><p>He turned back to his group, raising a hand for them to stop. “If you look up ahead,” he whispered, “You’ll see the infamous Bigfoot. Feel free to take holos.”</p><p>The group all looked past him with wide eyes as they pulled out their devices to snap photographs of him. However, the flash was on, calling attention to their position. The Bigfoot walked over to them and the people started to shiver in terror, but not Han. After all, it was just Chewbacca.</p><p>As the cryptid got closer, the people started to run. Han chuckled.</p><p>“Jokes on them, I still get paid,” he said, turning towards Chewbacca. “You did a good-” He trailed off as he realized that this was not, in fact, his co-pilot. Han booked it before the Bigfoot could reach him, running towards the clearing to find Chewbacca sitting on a rock, waiting.</p><p>“Run!” Han yelled, sprinting towards where they had parked the Falcon.</p><p>Chewbacca looked at him oddly, turning to see the Bigfoot following close behind. Chewbacca blinked before getting up to run.</p><p>The two of them made it to the ship and closed the hatch before the Bigfoot could reach them. The Cryptid stood outside, banging on the ship.</p><p>“We gotta get out of here before that thing starts ripping apart the ship,” Han said as he walked quickly to the cockpit.</p><p>Chewbacca gave him a look.</p><p>“How was I supposed to know there was an actual Bigfoot on the planet? Are you sure its not one of your long-lost cousins?”</p><p>Chewbacca whacked his arm.</p><p>“Ow! Okay, okay. It’s really a Bigfoot and not a Wookie. Just… get us out of here,” Han replied, starting up the controls on his side. They lifted off from the planets surface, leaving Bigfoot shaking his fists at the retreating ship.</p><p>As they got out of the planet’s atmosphere, Han let out a sigh of relief. “Well, we can never go to that planet again.”</p><p>Chewbacca pulled out a data pad and typed something onto it.</p><p>“What is that? Is that a list?” Han asked incredulously.</p><p>Chewbacca shrugged.</p><p>“Well, what’s on it?” Han asked, reaching for it.</p><p>Chewbacca sheepishly gave it to him.</p><p>Han skimmed it before turning to his friend, “Is this a list of every planet I said we can’t go back to?”</p><p>Chewbacca tilted his head and replied, <em>Well, I thought we should keep track so in case we forget a place, it’ll be written down.</em></p><p>Han shoved the data pad back  at him, shaking his head. “Let’s just get out of here.”</p><p>The two of them put their hand on the controls and shot the ship into hyperspace.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Vampire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When there’s a vampire in Coruscant, they can only count on one man.</p><p>Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, the Jedi Council</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count: ~900</p>
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    <p>Everyone knew there was a vampire in Coruscant. It had become readily apparent in the recent months. People would disappear, and then bodies would turn up, having the force drained from them. The Jedi huddled together in the council discussing the best course of action.</p><p>“We must protect the Chancellor,” one Master said. “He seems to narrowly escape every time, which suggests that he may be the true target, but alas, these mothers are just constellation prizes.”</p><p>“We should increase security around the Chancellor,” Master Ti suggested.</p><p>“Why don’t we just bait him with the Chancellor so that he must show himself?” Obi-Wan offered.</p><p>“Or…” Master Windu said. </p><p>“Or…?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“We bait him with the one Jedi we know has the strongest force signature,” Windu finished.</p><p>“You can’t possibly be suggesting that we use Anakin as bait?” Obi-Wan asked incredulously. “I won’t sacrifice my padawan.”</p><p>“Former padawan,” Master Windu corrected.</p><p>“Let go of attachments, we all must, for the greater good,” Master Yoda replied.</p><p>Obi-Wan deflated, shaking his head miserably. “At least let me be the one to tell him.”</p><p>Master Windu nodded, dismissing the council.</p><p>Obi-Wan made his way to Anakin’s room. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door.</p><p>“It’s open!” A voice called from inside.</p><p>Obi-Wan entered to find his friend tinkering with some device on his desk.</p><p>“Obi-Wan, what is it?” he asked.</p><p>“You’re aware of the attacks,” Obi-Wan started.</p><p>“Of course. Everyone says its a vampire, but we all know its really a Sith Lord. They’re the only ones who can do things like this,” Anakin replied, leaning back in his chair. “What about it?”</p><p>Obi-Wan sighed and sat on Anakin’s bed. “Well, the Council believes that if we bait them with a strong force user, then they’ll show their hand before they get to the Chancellor.”</p><p>“And they want to use me,” Anakin replied, catching on. “Alright, I’ll do it.”</p><p>“Anakin, this is a dangerous request.”</p><p>“Obi-Wan, we’re fighting a war. Everything we do these days is dangerous,” he shot back. “If its for the safety of the Chancellor, I’ll do it. Just tell me what I need to do.”</p><p>Obi-Wan went over the plan with him. </p><p>“Great, so I’ll just wander through the Senate building in the dark with a wooden stake up my sleeve. Sounds simple enough.”</p><p>“Anakin, please take this more seriously,” Obi-Wan pleaded.</p><p>“Obi-Wan, Sith Lords are our specialty, remember? I’ll be fine,” he replied, patting his Master on the shoulder as he went to leave the room.</p><p>“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Obi-Wan sighed.</p><p>Anakin made his way to the Senate building, secret weapon stored up his sleeve. It was eery at night. The pinnacle of justice by day, and something sinister looking once the sun had set. It was deserted as he walked around the senate chamber. A smile crossed his face as he passed by the pod that Padmé normally rode in. Padmé. He wished he was at home in bede with her right now, but this was more important. </p><p>Footsteps on the carpet sounded behind him, drawing closer. Anakin smirked. Let the games begin.</p><p>He turned quickly, choosing to ignite his lightsaber. He found himself face to face with the Chancellor.</p><p>“Oh! Chancellor. It’s you,”Anakin said, breathing a sigh of relief. He disengaged.</p><p>“What are you doing here, my boy?” Palpatine asked.</p><p>“Well, I’m on a mission,” he replied. “To protect you, actually.”</p><p>“I see… Protect me from what, exactly?” he asked, a sinister smile grew on the Chancellor’s face and Anakin saw pointed teeth.</p><p>“From yourself apparently,” Anakin remarked. He felt betrayed. He was shocked, but most of all, he felt rage. Rage at being betrayed by a man who was supposedly his friend. Rage at the deaths of so many innocent people by the man in front of him. </p><p>“Yes…. get angry,” Palpatine chuckled darkly, “Your essence always tastes sweeter when fueled by rage and fear.”</p><p>Anakin charged, whipping at him with the stake. For an old man, the Chancellor was surprisingly fast. He dodged Anakin’s attacks with ease, causing Anakin to grow more and more angry. Anakin always felt like he was one step behind, holding back because he still was looking at the face of his friend.</p><p>“Your affections are a weakness,” Palpatine taunted.</p><p>“How could I have any affections for a monster like you?” he growled.</p><p>“I’m just a weak old man, Anakin. I need essence to survive,” Palpatine said in a pitiful voice after one of Anakin’s hits landed and it knocked him to the ground.</p><p>Anakin’s eyes hardened. “If you survive off of someone else, then you don’t deserve to live.” It was slavery in his eyes, and that was unforgivable. “I’ll put you out of your misery.”</p><p>“No!” Palpatine cried out as Anakin took the stake and drove it into his chest.</p><p>Anakin pulled up, watching Palpatine claw at the stake in vain. He writhed on the ground, back and forth as he started to dissipate into ash like he was being burned from within. After it was over, Anakin found himself kneeling on the Chancellor’s cloak.</p><p>He got off the ground and walked away, covered in ash and soot. He let the stake fall from his hand, clattering against the floor as he left it behind. It was over. It was all over.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Skeleton</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: While the clones are building a new base, they unearth remains of the previous inhabitants. Strange things occur.</p><p>Characters: A lot of clones. Fight me.</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~850</p>
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    <p>“Captain, you might want to take a look at this,” Fives said over the comm.</p><p>Rex’s brow furrowed. That couldn’t be good. He cut through the leveled town towards where Fives and Tup had gone on patrol. When he got there, he found his two soldiers looking down at what looked like a hole caused by canon fire.</p><p>“What’s wrong, men, never seen canon fire before?” Rex asked as he came up to them.</p><p>“It’s not about the hole,” Fives replied. “It’s about what’s in it.”</p><p>“What’s in it?” Rex asked quizzically as he peeked over the edge into the hole. Remains. Skeletal remains. A lot of them, all in a silver box.</p><p>“Do you think it was a graveyard?” Tup asked as he shifted his weight on his feet.</p><p>“I don’t know. I don’t see any markers around,” Rex said after a cursory scan.</p><p>“Why would they just be buried here then?” Fives asked.</p><p>“And why would they be in a fancy metal box?” Tup asked.</p><p>“I don’t know. But… we have a job to do, and worrying about people who have been dead a long time isn’t as important as caring for the living. Come on,” Rex said, turning to leave.</p><p>Things started to happen after that discovery. Strange things, some mundane, some dangerous. They found materials were missing. Clones woke up yards away from where they had fallen asleep. Pistols were jamming left and right during the heat of battle. Ration bars were rotten before they had even been opened.</p><p>“General, there’s something wrong here,” Rex said, having placed a call to the General who was scouting ahead.</p><p>“Wrong how?” Anakin’s holo asked.</p><p>“It’s like… there are pranks being pulled. Some are harmless. Some are dangerous,” Rex explained, “But its not my men doing them.”</p><p>“Maybe the Separatists are sabotaging us?” Anakin asked thoughtfully.</p><p>“Why sabotage when they could just kill?” Rex asked. “They’re droids. They have no qualms about killing us. Why torture?”</p><p>“Maybe it’s Grievous?”</p><p>“Negative, General. Grievous is engaged with General Kenobi’s troops on Ryloth.”</p><p>“Have you found evidence of anything odd at the camp?” Anakin asked, trying to get to the bottom of it.</p><p>Rex hesitated.</p><p>“Captain?”</p><p>“Fives and Tup found a silver box of bones. They were unearthed by the canon fire.”</p><p>“Interesting. Put in a call to Master Yoda. He may have some answers,” Anakin replied. “I’ll be back in a day or two.”</p><p>“Yes, General,” Rex said before he hung up.</p><p>“What did the General say?” Fives asked as he came into Rex’s tent.</p><p>“He told me to call Master Yoda.”</p><p>“If we’re calling Yoda, then you know we have a problem,” Fives chuckled.</p><p>Rex shot him a look, to which Fives held his hands up placatingly.</p><p>Rex sighed and called Master Yoda, shooing Fives out of the tent.</p><p>Fives waited outside, trying to eavesdrop, but not always being successful.</p><p>“Well?” Fives asked when Rex finally emerged.</p><p>“Master Yoda seems to think that the remains are from a legend,” he replied, with a weird look on his face.</p><p>“What does the legend say?”</p><p>“There once was a trickster god on this planet. At first his tricks were harmless, but then they started to be more dangerous. Eventually the people trapped the trickster god and all his small henchmen, burying them in a silver box that they knew the god could not escape from,” Rex informed him.</p><p>“So by unearthing the box, we set the god free,” Fives replied.</p><p>“Or at least his spirit, according to Master Yoda.”</p><p>“How do we fix it?”</p><p>“We have to fix the box and rebury it.”</p><p>“And if that doesn’t work?”</p><p>“Then we hope we can get off this planet sooner rather than later,” Rex replied. “Gather a squad. We need to get this done tonight. I’m tired of rotten rations.”</p><p>“Yes, Captain,” Fives said before breaking off to get a group together. </p><p>They met Rex back at the box.</p><p>“Captain, what’s the plan?” Dogma asked.</p><p>“We’re going to dig up all the pieces of the the box and the bones. We’re going to put the box back together and put the bones back in. Then, we’re going to dig a new hole and drop it in. It’s got to be deeper than the last one, boys. We need to make sure there’s no chance of it being disturbed again,” Rex said, looking at each of them.</p><p>The clones nodded and got to work.</p><p>They worked late into the night, only finishing the repair as dawn broke over the horizon. Then, they pushed the box into the new hole and quickly covered it. By the time they were done, their general was seen on the horizon, coming back to camp.</p><p>“Did you resolve the issue?” Anakin asked, walking over to the newly disturbed earth.</p><p>“Yes, General. At least… I hope so,” Rex replied.</p><p>“Good. I’ve scouted a path to the capital. All of you get some rest. We leave tonight,” Anakin said, walking over to his tent.</p><p>“You heard him men,” Rex grinned. “Get some sleep. You’ve earned it.”</p>
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<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Celebrate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: When a group of friends go to a matchmaking dance, things do not go as planned.</p><p>Characters: Padmé Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Satine Kryze</p><p>Warnings: None</p><p>Word Count:~1400</p>
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    <p>“I don’t know if I put so much stock in a dance that has the slogan, ‘Find your soulmate, and have a screaming first date,’” Satine grimaced when Padmé showed her the flyer.</p><p>“Oh, come on, Duchess. Don’t be a stick in the mud,” Padmé teased, using her nickname. “Who knows, you might get matched with someone great.”</p><p>“How do they do the matching, anyway?” Satine asked.</p><p>“You fill out the form on the back on the flyer and return it before Thursday at noon. Then, you’ll get an email with your half of the couple’s costume,” Padmé explained.</p><p>“I suppose you already turned yours in?” </p><p>“Dropped it off this morning after my first class,” she winked.</p><p>“Fine. I suppose I’ll fill this out,” she sighed. “With any luck, I’ll be matched with Obi-Wan. Now that would be a date.” She winked.</p><p>Padmé awkwardly smiled and went to leave. “I’ll catch up with you later.”</p><p>A few days later as Padmé was working on her midterm in the library, she got the email with her costume assignment.</p><p>“Guinevere,” she grinned. “I always love dressing up as a period princess. I wonder who my King Arthur will be.” Her eyes fell on Anakin Skywalker across the library. He could very well be her once and future king, indeed. With a slight tint to her cheeks, she went back to her homework.</p><p>“Obi-Wan, what’s your costume?” Anakin asked, leaning back in his chair to invade his friend and RA’s personal space.</p><p>“I’ll tell you if you put your chair back on the ground,” Obi-Wan sighed, looking up from his book.</p><p>Anakin put the chair back on all four legs with a soft thud before giving him an expectant look.</p><p>“Lancelot,” he said with a bemused smile. “What are you to be?”</p><p>“Peter Pan,” Anakin chuckled.</p><p>“That checks out,” Obi-Wan commented.</p><p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Anakin asked incredulously.</p><p>The librarian shushed him. When she turned her back, he stuck his tongue out at her. Obi-Wan raised a pointed brow at him. Anakin sighed, waving him off before going back to his homework.</p><p>“I just hope I get matched with Padmé,” Anakin said wistfully. He could see her being his Wendy.</p><p>“If it’s meant to be, it’ll be,” Obi-Wan replied absentmindedly.</p><p>Midterms came and went, and the dance was upon them. Padmé and Satine were getting ready in their dorm and talking about who they thought their matches must be.</p><p>“I can’t believe you were assigned a nun costume,” Padmé chuckled softly as she attached her chain belt to her medieval dress that she had found at a thrift store.</p><p>“I bet I’ll be matched with Obi-Wan, though. The man screams priest,” Satine grinned devilishly. Padmé wondered if she’d finally get to meet this elusive Obi-Wan Kenobi.</p><p>“I think Anakin would be my Arthur,” Padmé replied thoughtfully.</p><p>“And what if your partner is Lancelot and not Arthur?” Satine asked, breezing past her and out the door. “Come along. We best be going.”</p><p>Padmé stepped into her satin slippers and followed her to the dance.</p><p>“Write your half of the costume on the name tag, please,” the bored teen at the door said as she handed them stickers saying “Hello, My name is.”</p><p>“Not a fan of dances?” Padmé asked as she filled out her tag.</p><p>“It’s not that. I just… I had plans and then I got stuck on door duty since I’m the youngest on the student council,” the girl sighed.</p><p>“Well, when everyone shows up, you can leave, right?” Padmé suggested.</p><p>“I didn’t even think of that!” the girl replied, brightening up. “I hope you find your match.”</p><p>“Me, too,” Padmé said, suddenly feeling nervous. She looked up to see that Satine had already gone into the venue and took a deep breath. The music thumped in her chest through the door. When she opened it, colorful lights blurred her vision for a moment before it adjusted to the slightly dark atmosphere. Gently grasping the railing to the stairs, she descended into the chaos, searching in vain for her match. Her vision was overstimulated by all the background lights and the costumes. As she neared the bottom, her confidence deflated. Finding her match in here might be as probable as finding a needle in a haystack. </p><p>“At the very least, I’m getting a drink,” she said to herself before going towards the refreshments table in the corner. Nudging her way through the crowded room, she was jostled back and forth by the dancers, culminating in a slight trip as she broke free.</p><p>“Careful, darling,” a voice said as strong arms caught her from falling.</p><p>Padmé looked up at her savior, a blush forming on her face. He was incredibly handsome, especially with the halo of yellow lights highlighting him from behind as the disco ball glinted off his suit of armor.</p><p>“Are you alright?” he asked, brow furrowing in concern.</p><p>“Yes, thank you,” she said, regaining composure the best she could. In her head, it was as if the world had stopped. “I should let you get back to your match.”</p><p>“I haven’t found them yet,” he admitted.</p><p>Padmé looked down at his name tag and felt her heart skip a beat, “I believe I’m your match.”</p><p>His gaze flicked down to her name tag on her shoulder before breaking out in the cutest grin. “Yes, darling, I believe you are. Would you care to dance?”</p><p>“I’d love to,” she beamed, taking his hand and letting him lead her to an uncluttered spot on the dance floor. Being in his arms felt natural, like returning home from a long day and being enveloped in the safety of your bed. She rested her cheek against the shoulder of his armor. It was cool against her cheek.</p><p>“Just out of curiosity, there isn’t an Arthur that I should be worrying about, is there?” he asked playfully.</p><p>Padmé hesitated a moment before letting go of her silly guess earlier. Anakin was just her childhood friend that she used to babysit. He was her past. But this man… this man felt like her future.  “No. There isn’t an Arthur. I am entirely yours.”</p><p>Over her shoulder, Obi-Wan Kenobi noticed his friend, Anakin, giving him a slight glare. He tried to dismiss it, turning back to his date. “As lovely of a Guinevere as you are, what is your real name?”</p><p>“Padmé,” she said, smiling up at you. “And what is your name, Sir Knight?”</p><p>“Obi-Wan Kenobi,” he replied.</p><p>In that moment, the reality of the situation hit them. They were in the arms of the person their friends wanted to be with. Padmé swallowed, peeking out of the corner of her eye at Satine, standing alone by the punch. Obi-Wan looked down at where their hands were joined and laid against his chest.</p><p>“Do you believe in fate?” he asked softly.</p><p>“I believe things happen for a reason,” she replied, giving him a lopsided smile.</p><p>“How much faith do you put into a group of psychology student’s match making skills?” he asked sadly.</p><p>Padmé held his hand tighter to keep him from pulling away. “I think they gave us Lancelot and Guinevere for a reason,” she replied. “I think they thought they noticed something that we didn’t. But, I meant what I said. I don’t have an Arthur. I belong to no man, and I can give my heart to whom I choose. Don’t make a noble gesture at the expense of our own happiness. If you make your armor shine any brighter, you would blind.”</p><p>“At least then I’d be able to ignore the glares,” he said, nonchalantly gesturing to Anakin.</p><p>Padmé turned them slightly and gestured to Satine. He let out a chuckle.</p><p>“You’re friends with my ex from high school,” he commented. “Of course.”</p><p>“Could we get any more star-crossed?” she smirked.</p><p>Obi-Wan took her face in his hands, “As long as you don’t go about starting a family feud, I think we’ll get through it.”</p><p>She grinned up at him, “I’ll try my best.”</p><p>He kissed her nose, “Then, we’ll be fine.”</p><p>Padmé settled back into his arms, content to celebrate the rest of the holiday in the arms of her knight. Halloween truly was her favorite holiday.</p><p></p><div>
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